Tiny Humans
by Myfaerytale
Summary: A/U: Callie is alone after her boyfriend leaves her; she is also pregnant. While racing to get him back, Callie gets involved in a car crash. When the race to save her baby is on the line, Callie meets Dr. Robbins. Sparks fly, but will the baby be too much for Arizona to have a life with Callie?
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes.

Callie sat at her kitchen's island, her fingers drumming off of the glistening marble. Her eyes burned, tears spilling over her olive toned skin, whisps of hair mingling with them. Her cheeks were red, anger trickling heat through her neck.

Her boyfriend of over two years was packing his bags, each one of his large footsteps making Callie's ears singe.

The two had just recently moved into this apartment, hard wood floors not even covered with rugs, couches still dressed by squeaky plastic.

Mark set his duffel on the island in front of her, his eyes not once meeting her's since telling her he was leaving.

For Lexie Grey at that.

"Mark," she was barely able to pass air through her clenched teeth; her hands went to rest over her enlarged stomach. Her unborn child was kicking her, one by one each flutter growing in force. Her lips quivered, nausea scorching her tongue.

"Callie, I'm sorry," He continued to avoid her gaze, his hand zipping the duffel bag shut. " I just can't do this." he slung the bag over his right shoulder, he left hand running through his grey tinted hair.

Neither of them spoke, the only sound heard being Callie's deep breathing.

"We're supposed to be a family." she gasped, her focus set on her tummy. "You said you were happy, that this baby would change things for the better."

She looked up to see Mark at the door, his hands already turning the knob to flee as soon as possible.

"Mark!" she was sobbing now, her hands covering her face.

The slam of the front door shutting sent Callie into a fresh round of hysterics. Her arms were shaking and every breath felt forced, laboured. Her cries echoed, the scarcely furnished apartment booming them to each crevice.

He was her best friend, her lover. He promised her that he would be with her every step of the way, that this baby was his dream. But she now knew that she was naive in this situation, that everything he had told her was a lie. Sweet nothings that were once whispered into her ear were false. Each touch and caress nothing but tainted brushes against her sweet skin.

She was left alone.

Her tears continued to moisten her cheeks, her vision blurred, hazy. Her hands returned to her stomach, her lips forming words of love to her baby.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry," the baby, seeming to understand her words, kicked sending shivers up Callie's spine.

She couldn't let him leave.

Callie gathered herself together, hope bubbling to her core and anxiety causing her forehead to bead with sweat. Her feet landed on the ground, a sting of pain rushing up her back. She panted, her swollen ankles protesting movement with her legs wobbling in agreement.

"I can't let him leave," she muttered to herself.

She moved as fast as her body could would allow her. Her hands snatched her car keys from the table beside the door, her eyes scanning the apartment-one she thought she would happily spend the rest of her life- before she locked up and left.

She jogged to the elevators, her fist almost punching the arrow signaling down. The button illuminated, Callie's foot tapping with each passing second. As the elevator doors dinged to signal their presence, Callie looked down, her shaking hands stilling as they landed on her belly for the umpteenth time that day.

Her long, wavy, brown hair swung behind her as she entered the elevator. Her red lipstick covered mouth was pressed into a hard line, her jaw clenched tightly. Her eyes began to burn again, tears threatening to escape as she thought of him. She focused on the slow changing numbers as the elevator brought her to the ground floor.

As the doors opened, she thrusted her car keys from her pocket and unlocked her BMW X6. She carefully placed herself into the vehicle and did her best to turn the car on as fast as possible. Pop music blared in her eyes, a squeal leaving her throat in surprise.

She turned the radio down and pulled out the parking lot. It was pouring rain on this humid night in July. Callie was barely able to see the scenes in front of her, the windshield wipers hardly keeping up with the fast paced rain drops. She squinted, her already tear filled eyes making it more difficult to-

~~~o~~~

"Dr. Robbins," Alex Karev looked up from a chart he was holding, her brows furrowed together in confusion.

"Yes, Karev?" she smiled, her voice light and bubbly.

Arizona set the chart she was holding aside, brushing a piece of her straight hair behind her ear before placing her hands into her white pockets.

"Lucy was complaining of chest pain. I know she just had heart surgery, but her mother is insisting that we look into it." he looked from the chart and waited for Arizona to speak.

She sighed. "Okay, order an ECG, run some blood tests and get a chest x-ray." she took the chart from his hands and scrawled some notes on the girl's chart.

Karev nodded as he took the chart and departed.

It was another slow day at Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital. Aside from a difficult heart surgery, all of Arizona's patients were doing fairly well. She slipped her right hand from her pocket, glancing at her watch to check the time.

It was close to midnight, her shift ending around two a.m.

The sound of her pager beeping erratically alerted her. She picked up the small device and almost ran to the ER as the message indicated that it was an emergency.

Looks like her night wasn't going to be so boring after all.


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: Wow, I wasn't expecting this kind of feedback:) thank you so much to those of you who have followed and favorited, especially those who reviewed. It means so much!

Disclaimer: Shonda Rhimes owns all characters mentioned.

She could taste blood on her tongue. Her head was pounding, her heart thumping loudly in her ears. There were echoes of noise that she could hardly decipher, a loud ringing over riding the rest of her senses. She tried to move her mouth, but pain shot through her system with any movement.

Callie could only breath, labored breaths mixed with liquid gurgles as blood began to leak from the corners of her lips.

"H-h-help!" she coughed, the faint message masked by the hot viscous that continued to nearly drown her. She could feel concrete beneath her fingers, specks of glass pricking her skin as she attempted to move once more.

Ripples of pressure in her abdomen grasped her fear filled thoughts, her eyes shooting open. She groaned, the pressure intensifying as the seconds wore on.

Her child, she had to find someone to help her baby. She had to save her baby. She didn't care at that very moment what happened to her...but if anything went wrong with this child, because she was being reckless; she wouldn't be able to live with herself.

"Help!" she tried again to signal someone. Her hands slowly rose, shakes and pain shooting up to her shoulder as her fingers splayed over her stomach.

"...fire...no where..." muffled words were being thrown back and forth near her. "I didn't see the red light on time," she could recognize a man's voice as her senses began returning to her.

Callie could hear crackles, distant sirens and drips, the strong smell of gasoline floating to her nose. She flinched as something wet fell onto her face, her body unable to move as she finally registered the position she was in.

She was on her back inside of her car; she was laying on the roof of her vehicle. Her body must have broken the glass which helped her to clarify why she was lying upon concrete. She could see the floor of her car, a gaping hole allowing the gas to leak onto her body.

"Sir, what happened?" another male was speaking. His voice was calm, reassuring. It was nothing compared to the other man who's voice was full of terror.

"I was texting my wife back to tell her I was on my way home...I didn't see the light and I j-just hit the car!"

"H-help..." her head was swimming, a fog appearing before her as her mind began to slip.

"Ma'am," she knew this voice. "Ma'am are you able to move? Can you hear me?" it was one of the paramedics that frequently brought those severely injured to Seattle Grace Hospital.

Callie moved her hand from atop her stomach, her eyes readjusting as she reached for the paramedic beside her. She tried not to slip away, her head banging more than it had before.

"Ma'am, can you try not to move? We don't know the extent to your injuries." the paramedic took Callie's hand reassuringly, her voice laced with concern.

Callie shut her eyes and nodded. The paramedic clasped onto Callie's hand tighter, encouraging words continuing to fall from her mouth.

"B-baby," she whispered. She coughed, blood spurting from her mouth.

"We need someone over here right now!" the paramedic released Callie's hand and ran off.

Her body was shaking, her eyes rolling to the back of her head as she lost consciousness.

~~~o~~~

Arizona was running through the halls to the ER, her eyes spotting about five bodies flying into the hospital.

"Robbins!" She turned her head at the sound of Dr. Hunt's call and hurried to his side.

His eyes were glossy, the few other surgeons-Dr. Bailey, Dr. Karev and Dr. Meredith Grey- stared at the body strapped to the gurney. Arizona glanced down, eyes narrowing as she tried to decipher who the person was.

"Callie Torres, age 37; injuries include multiple shard wounds to the spine and shoulders, internal bleeding and moderate concussion."

The name hardly rang a bell, a frown placed on Arizona's face as she was about to question her presence.

"Dr. Hunt, why am I needed? She's a grown woman."

The other doctors were silent, Karev running a hand over his head. Dr. Bailey grabbed onto the bottom of Callie's shirt, Arizona's breath catching, as a very pregnant belly was revealed. Her stomach was bruised, patches of dried blood scattered in random areas.

"I need to get an ultrasound immediately." she looked at Dr. Hunt, her nose flaring, lips in a hard, thin line.

Arizona looked at the woman's face; remnants of what must have been red lipstick smeared along her mouth, her cheeks a scarlet red, mascara leaking down to the tips of her jaw. Her long, dark hair wasmatted by dry blood and sweat. When she reached Callie's eyes, her heart sunk. The brown orbs were almost black, Arizona able to literally feel every emotion Callie had. Arizona's feet moved her forward, the pull this woman had on her bringing her closer. She looked down as she felt clammy fingers clasp onto her left wrist.

"Save my baby," Arizona dragged her eyes to meet Callie's. Hurt. All she could see was hurt.

Arizona cleared her throat and smiled. "I will do everything in my power to save your baby." A side of Callie's mouth lifted, barely an inch, before she slipped back into unconsciousness. Her hand slipped from Arizona's, Dr. Hunt calling for nurses to set up an OR.

Arizona shook her head and took a deep breath. Her body was shaking, fingers still tingling from the touch of the foreign woman. Her legs felt wobbly, her breath hitching in her throat as she felt a huge weight fall upon her shoulders. The look that woman had given her was full of intensity, the emotion lay behind her eyes unlike anything she had ever seen.

"Robbins!"

Her moment of withdrawal receded as she quickly walked to the end of the hall to be with the other surgeons.

It was all a blur as her and the others prepared, washing their hands and putting on their caps and gowns. Arizona was trembling the entire time, her fingers fumbling with the ultrasound. The other surgeons all waited for her, the room silent.

Arizona carefully applies the cold gel to Callie's stomach, the transducer probe slowly spreading the slightly clear goo around and around. The light swish sound was what everyone was focusing on. Arizona squinted, her eyes trying to decipher what was going on with the baby inside of the woman's womb. She sighed, frustration and exhaustion clouding her thoughts.

"We need an OB in here _now._ I can't get a very good picture."

She set the probe aside and avoided the woman she was just examining, afraid that if she set her eyes in her direction, all of her emotions would over ride her rational thoughts.

"We should put her on her side," Dr. Bailey commented as Dr. Hunt paged an OB. "We need to make sure there's no access shards in her back." she licked her lips in what must have been from anxiety, her nose flaring.

Arizona was distressed. Each minute that passed could be more damage to both the baby and it's mother. Callie's heart beat was getting lower, but it wasn't in a terrible territory yet.

"We don't want to distress the baby any more than we already have." Arizona said. She crossed her arms, her eyes unintentionally falling to the patient. "Who is this Callie Torres by the way?" she asked this more to ease her stomach, butterflies the size of hawks flying in there.

"She's our lead orthopedic surgeon." Karev answered. His voice was low, eyes darting back and forth from Callie's face to her pregnant stomach. "Where's Sloan?"

"The plastics guy?"

"Yeah." Meredith acknowledged. "He's her boyfriend." she sighed. "And the father of this baby."

"Oh." It was the only thing Arizona found to be an appropriate response.

The door swung open, a loud squeak of the hinges deafening to each of the surgeons ears. "I hope this is important. I have a patient 9 centimeters..." Dr. Lucy Fields stopped in front of the patient in shock. Arizona was sure she was taking notice of the dramatically bruised stomach, battered body and hushed tone of the people surrounding her. "dialated." she finished.

"Fields, we don't have time for you to stare, you need to check the status of this baby _now._"

Lucy stared at Callie, a clearing of throat getting her to complete the task asked of her.

Arizona watched Lucy as she jerked the probe into her hand and speedily observed the baby's condition. She viewed the monitor, eyes taking in every detail she could. Arizona's jaw clenched, mouth quivering as her fingers skimmed over Callie's. She felt as though Callie could hear every thing going on, or wonder why everything was so quiet. She wanted to grasp her hand, let her know that someone was hopeful, optimistic in this situation.

"This isn't looking good."

Arizona's grip on Callie's hands tightened before she let go.

A/N: Please review:) I would love to know what you guys think.


	3. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes.

Arizona was almost glaring at Lucy as she awaited for her to elaborate on the baby's condition. Thoughts about Callie had almost vanished, her simple worry about the child inside of the woman her only problem. Her eyes would flicker to the monitor, trying to see what Lucy was viewing.

"The baby's umbilical cord is wrapped around it's neck. We need to get the baby out as soon as possible."

This wasn't good. This was not good in the slightest. Her teeth latched onto her bottom lip, her nerves momentarily taking over. She looked at Callie, noticing that her eyes were opened, but only a fraction. Arizona's face paled in realization, knowing that Callie being awake was the last thing any of them needed.

"Why is she awake?" Arizona was apalled, her fists tighly clenched at her sides.

"Why..." Callie began to speak but her words were inaudible.

"Awake?" Dr. Hunt looked at Callie, eyes widening before barking commands at the anesthesiologist. "Why didn't you put her under!"

The room fell into a panic. Dr. Bailey followed Dr. Hunt's rage, words filled with insults spewn to the man. He threw his hands in the air and scurried over to his work space, hitting multiple buttons as the other doctors critisized and yelled his way.

Arizona froze, not knowing whether to join the other doctors in their actions or crumble to the floor in fear. It was too loud. She couldn't think, barely breath, as the stress of the room and situation clogged thinking.

Callie's monitor began to beep erratically, her blood pressure rising and tears slipping down her face.

"My baby...what's wrong with my baby?"

Arizona shut her eyes, hands flying to her head. She felt like she was going to explode, all the chaos too much. It was all too much.

"Shut up," she mumbled. She peered over at Callie, watching as her eyes silently fell close. Her heart rate sustatined its racing beats, Lucy tapping Arizona on the shoulder. She sighed, turning to face the blonde. "We have to do something. _Now._" she showed Arizona the baby's levels, the numbers inching down a bad path.

"I can handle it from here. Go to your patient." Arizona placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing it more for herself than for Lucy's comfort.

"Are you sure?"

"If it gets too bad, I'll page you." her hand fell from the woman's shoulder, Lucy frowning as she left the operating room.

The others ceased to quiet down, her anger deepening as she turned around and slammed her head on metal tray. Metal utensils clattered to the ground, nurses cowering back and the doctors turning her way with shut mouths.

"You all need to shut up! She was unconscience when we got in here." her voice lowered, her eyes meeting every doctor before speaking again. "None of us had any idea that she would wake up, let alone even end up on this table." she removed her mask from her face, the heat in her system making it harder for her to breath. "We need to act fast. This baby is losing it's chance at life every second you waste repremanding the anesthesiologist about not doing his job right."

"But-"

"We _need _to get this baby out." her voice was dangerously low.

"We need a plan." Dr. Hunt gestured for Arizona to come over, all of the doctors in a circle around Callie Torres.

"I didn't see any internal bleeding when I examined the baby." Arizona said.

"There are tears in her back, some possible nerve damage." Dr. Grey looked at Dr. Hunt. "We need to make sure there's no access bleeding that could cause permanent damage."

The sound of the monitor showing the baby's stats signaled the others. Arizona rushed over, seeing that the baby's vitals were falling faster than she had anticipated. She tired her mask back on, grabbing the bottle of iodine and splashing some onto Callie's exposed stomach. She reached for a scalpel, the object inches away from Callie's stomach.

"Dr. Robbins!" Dr. Hunt grabbed Arizona's hand.

She paused. Her eyes were large, the blue orbs glistening as tears pricked at them. She looked up, Dr. Hunt calmly moving his hand from atop of Arizona's.

"We didn't discuss-"

"Sir, I'm sorry," she choked. She hated that she was defying her superior, but she knew that in order to save this baby's life, she would have to make this decision. She turned back to the Callie's stomach, the scalpel making contact with skin, blood slowly leaking from the incision.

"Dr. Robbins!" Dr. Hunt reached for her hand, but Dr. Bailey grabbed his before he could make contact.

Arizona cut through the abdominal wall, her hands completely still. She asked a nurse for a suction, getting some of the acess blood out of the way before she made an incision in the uterus. The baby was small, much smaller than she had anticipated.

The other doctors were reserved, the only noise being Callie's IV drips and the squish of Arizona moving inside of Callie's body.

The baby was on the tips of her fingers, dark, black hair prevident much like the mother's. "It's a girl," she whispered. "Karev," The baby was in her hands and out of Callie's body, the umbilical cord hanging loosely from still child. The skin on the child was tinted blue, it's chest rising and falling at too slow of a rate. Arizona gently unwrapped the cord from the baby's neck, Karev at her side instantly cutting the cord.

"We need to do CPR," she brought the baby to a prepared table, using a bulb aspirator to clear the fluid from her airway. "We need to ventalate the baby," she turned the monitor on, hooking the child up. Karev was right beside her, listening for a heart beat.

"There's a heart beat but it's faint." he placed an oxygen mask of the tiny human's face. The baby was still failing to breath, her skin a darker shade of blue. Karev removed the oxygen mask from the baby and slipped a small breathing tube down her throat while Arizona gave more commands.

"It's getting stronger," a sliver of a smile rose on Arizona's face.

She could see the color begin to return to the infant's skin, the nurses wiping the remnants from her tiny body.

She was going to keep her promise.

~~~o~~~ 

She was trapped inside of her own body. She couldn't move, couldn't open her eyes. Her tongue was dry, lips crackling with each movement.

_Beep. Beep._

She couldn't decipher where she was. The sounds were familiar, she had heard them...some where. Her thoughts were foggy, everything she tried to decipher caused a shooting pain to go straight to a her head. The high pitched beeps that were in time with her heart, a ticking of a near by clock loud to her fragile ears.

"Calliope?"

She scoffed to herself in her mind. No one called her by her full name aside from her parents. The fact that a stranger knew her name upset her. Only a few doctors at the hospital knew it, and she doubted that they had told this strange person.

Her head banged. Too many thoughts at once.

"Calliope?" it was the same voice, closer, not as foggy as the thoughts occuring in her mind. "I'm Dr. Arizona Robbins," Callie strained to open her eyes, the feeling of exhaustion brushing over her face.

"Do you remember me?"

Callie was growing irritated, her urge to find out who this person was itching at her. She tried to raise her hands, maybe wipe her eyes, but she couldn't move them.

Her heart began to race, the beeping in her ear increasing as her breaths became shorter. Her eyes flickered open, her eyes taking in the atomsphere.

"Hey, hey, hey," a woman with striking blonde hair stepped into her line of vision. She flipped her straight, long blonde hair to the side as she sat next to Callie's bedside. Her pink stethescope hung around her neck, her white coat in sharp contrast with her blue scrubs. "Calm down," Callie's eyes trailed back to meet the woman's, her vibrant blue eyes starting right back at her.

She remembered this woman; her memories were fuzzy, but something about her was...familiar.

"You need to calm down, okay?" her voice was full of concern, a line of worry etched into her forehead. "Your body is very weak, and you just had surgery."

Callie was all too accustomed to how patients were supposed to act once they had an operation. They had to lay down, eat crappy hospital food, and become addicted to the drugs they put into your veins every few hours.

"Why did I have surgery?" her voice was hoarse, her throat feeling like she hadn't drank anything in days.

"Here," She felt cool liquid touch her lips, the few drops hitting her throat feeling a thousand times better. She almost whimpered when the cup was pulled away. She frowned, lips pouting, brows pulled together. "More?"

Callie looked at the blonde again, a wide smile on the woman's lips.

"I'm sorry, what's your name?"

"Arizona. Arizona Robbins." she smiled again, a large set of dimples prominent. She placed the cup against the woman's lips again, more water coaxing her dry throat.

Callie pulled away once she had enough and took a deep breath.

"I'm the head of peds here," she set the cup aside, a sullen looked replacing the smile on her face. "Your baby-"

"I remember you," Callie forced her eyes closed. She recalled her mind swerving, thoughts on her child's safety, if she was even going to live. She could feel the tingles on each of her fingers when Arizona had taken her hand, each squeeze a reassurance that her baby would be in great hands.

"You said you would keep my baby safe." she breathed. She stared at the woman, a serious glint to her eyes.

"Your baby is safe. She is-"

"She?" Callie burst into a fit of tears, pure joy filling her heart. She felt lighter, each tear that fell a release of stress that had been building on her for months.

"Yes. She is tiny, but she is beautiful. Her lungs seem a little underdeveloped, and she has trouble breathing on her own. We had to operate earlier because her trakea was tearing, but we were able to fix it. She has a strong chance; she's a fighter."

Callie continued to sob, her tears of joy something Arizona was very used to. She tried to compose herself; she still had so many questions on her mind, answers she needed. She wanted to know if she looked like her, or if she looked like..._him. _

She missed him like crazy. She missed him treating her like a queen everyday. She missed his smile, the way he would stare at her like she was the only person in the room.

But he must not have been thinking of her. He was thinking of the traiterous Lexie Grey. If she could move, she would get out of this hospital bed and beat the hell out of both of them.

"Did...did _he _see her?" Callie opened her eyes, instantly searching for Arizona's. "Did Mark see her?"

"Mark?" Arizona twisted a piece of her hair, her eyes moving back and forth as she thought.

"My boy-" Callie stopped herself. "My _ex_-boyfriend." she growled.

"Oh," Arizona shook her head. "No one stopped by to see the baby."

"I just can't believe it," she moaned. "How could you just leave someone in such a fragile state? How could someone do that!" she was crying again, but these tears were mournful; she mounred the love she used to have.

"You're not alone." Arizona took Callie's hand, rubbing small circles onto the back of her palm.

Callie stared back at blue eyes with trust, wishing she could squeeze Arizona's hand back.

A/N: thoughts?


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you so much to those who continue to follow and comment:) You guys are amazing!

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes.**

"Hey there, baby," Arizona was sitting in a chair parked inches from Callie's newborn child. Her hands gently touched the tiny human's balled up fist, her soft skin warm to the touch. She grinned, taking her hand away and pulling her cell phone out. She took a few pictures, knowing that Callie would want to see how her little one was doing.

"Robbins," she pulled away from baby in an instant, shoving her phone into her white coat at the sound of Karev's voice.

"Yes, Karev?" she got up from the chair, a strand of hair falling from her ponytail. She gave him one of her best smiles, her head tilting to the side.

"When you're done fawning over your girlfriend's baby, there's a kid who needs to be looked at." he grinned, shoving a pink binder into her arms.

Arizona gave him a dirtly look, eyes narrowing as she smacked his arm. "She isn't my girlfriend."

"Well you've been talking about her and her kid nonstop all week."

Arizona sighed, looking over the kid's chart to distract herself. "I have not." she mumbled.

She internally sighed, knowing that she had been talking about Calliope and her baby ever since she arrived in the hospital. But, it wasn't like it was her fault the baby was so cute. She promised to watch over her. The intensity those brown eyes had given her earlier that week was something Arizona could not forget. Or her hair. Oh, her smile...

Arizona stopped her train of thought, doing her best to focus on a patient who needed her more than the little one beside her did.

"Keep telling yourself that."

"Shut it, Karev." she scowled at him over the chart.

Arizona returned to the information in front of her, whistling low as she processed the child's stats. "Oh my god,"

"Yeah, I know." Arizona gripped the binder tighter in between her fingers, lips pressed together in concentration.

Emily Stevens was a seven year old girl fighting cancer; for the third time. She was first diagnosed when she was three years old and again at 5. She had beaten it both times, but this time; it was different.

She had three tumors, one of them on a major artery, another inside of her bowels, and the last inside one of her lungs. Arizona was sure that she could remove two, but the one covering her artery led to her heart. One wrong move could kill the little girl, but Arizona was confident that her and Karev could work their magic and save this little girl's life.

"I have a plan," Arizona vocalized. She handed the chart back to Karev, dimples prominent as she smiled once more. "I just have to do something real quick, and I'll meet you in the conference room with Dr. Hunt."

She popped the wheels out of her shoes and glided down the hall.

"Tell Torres I said hi!" Kareve shouted behind her.

"Don't make me hit you with a brick, Karev!" she shouted back.

~~~o~~~

"Well, your vitals are good. Your bpm is normal; can you breath alright?"

Callie rolled her eyes, a loud sigh escaping her throat. Dr. Shephard was looking over her CAT scans, x-rays and blood work all at once. He kept switching back and forth, a constant frown placed on his face as he looked over the information.

Callie copied his expression, concern about her health eliciting a headache.

"My breathing is fine." she shut her eyes, trying her best to calm herself down before her heart rate went through the roof again. It frustrated her that she couldn't even perform a simple task such as rubbing her forehead.

It didn't take too long after she awoke to realize that she quickly losing movement from the neck down. All she could do was stare at her body, the limp limbs just laying there, waiting to move. There were a few scars scattered along her arms, bandages wrapped every here and there.

"I just," she began to speak, but a sharp pain raced up her spine. She held her breath, her nose crinkling as she tried to hold in a moan.

Dr. Shephard set the scans to the side, observing Callie for a moment before going to her side.

"My upper spine." she gasped. "The pain is coming from there." as soon as she uttered the words, the pain was gone.

Callie took a few deep breaths, her eyes opening to look at Derek. Her eyes watered, skin flushed as she came down from one of the worst pains of her life.

"On a scale of 1 to 10, how was your pain?" he picked up her chart, scribbling a few notes in while he waited for her to speak.

"An 11." she could only squirm, her body not allowing her the comfort she was seeking.

"Alright, Callie." Derek held the chart at his side, a small smile on his face. "You have a pinched nerve on you C3,"

"A pinched nerve? That's it?" Callie glared at him, jaw clenched in affliction.

"I'm afraid so. It's easy to operate on, and it explains why you're losing mobility from the neck down."

"How soon can you operate?"

Dr. Shephard glanced at his watch. "About an hour, give or take. I have to get an OR set up, have you sign some forms..." Derek paused, realizing what he had just said. "I mean, we'll figure-"

"Calliope!" Callie blushed as a now very well-know voice entered; Derek turned to the door as Arizona skidded into the room.

The room went silent, Arizona's mouth moving but not words coming out. Callie smiled at her obvioius embarassment.

"I-I mean," Arizona cleared her throat. "Dr. Torres, I um-"

"I'll be back later." Derek looked between the two, nodding to Arizona before leaving the room.

The two didn't speak for some moments after Derek left, an awkward stillness floating in the room.

Callie smirked, her eyes taking in Arizona's frazzled appearance. Her hair was in a messy ponytail, a frew pieces sprawled elegantly around her face. Her face was red, abashed from interrupting. She was rocking on her heels now, her eyes averting Callie's.

Callie shook her head, clearing her mind from trailing off any further. She wasn't used to this feeling, this feeling of hope. Every time Arizona walked into her room, she could feel her heart swell. She couldn't describe the feeling. Was it appreciation? Yes, Arizona had saved her daughter and had been looking after her since she got here. But, appreciation didn't feel right.

"Sorry, for, uh," Arizona's voice pulled Callie from her thoughts. "Just bursting in like that. I should have knocked first." Her face managed to reach a darker shade of red, pink lips pressed firmly together.

"It's fine," Callie looked out the hospital's window, the sun shining brightly into the room.

"I took some pictures," Callie lazily moved her focus to Arizona as she took the seat next to her bed and pulled out her phone.

Callie could only hold her breath as Arizona placed her cell phone in front of her, her little girl right in front of her.

"She's beautiful," she breathed.

Arizona looked at Callie, seeing the pure joy written all over her face. From the long dark curls that draped over her shoulders, to the perfect smile that would fall upon her face, Arizona could only gawk at the woman in front of her.

"She is beautiful." Arizona bit her tongue, aware that she had spoken aloud.

Her worries faded as Callie looked back at her, a beaming smile that almost made Arizona melt on her face.


	5. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes.

Arizona was close to flying down the halls of Seattle Grace Hospital, the area close to empty as the time approached midnight. She was deep in thought, the wheels to her shoes automatically taking her to a room she visited almost every day. Her stomach clenched, each time her mind carried her to Callie a smile would lift onto her lips.

She loved how dark and luscious Calile's hair fell over her shoulders. She loved how her brown orbs were always full of hope and strength. Slight shudders would course all over her body every time the brunette smiled in her direction. She was one of the bravest people she had ever met; her urge to perservere just to have the ability to walk and see her baby heroic.

Though, every time she would think of her baby, her smile would fall.

She was developing feelings for Callie. She could sense that since she first held her hand that horrifying day in the ER. She was a pediatric surgeon, and, yes, she loved kids. All the tiny humans that went through her peds floor was greeted with a smile and given the best treatment. She would play games with them, read stories, order their favorite food if they got better.

But the thought of falling for someone, getting attatched to them when they have something so tiny and precious, was scary. If she was with Callie-Arizona shook her head at the thought of someone like her even _liking _woman- then she had to be in her baby's life. She didn't want to care for her or _love _her, only to see her get struck with one of the terrible diseases that walked through her doors everyday. She couldn't bare to be so attatched to a child. She tried her best to visit Callie's baby less and less, the fact that she still had no name adding ease to her slowly growing seperation.

She wasn't aware that she was standing awefully still outside of Callie's room until she took a deep breath. Her palms were sweaty, blue eyes downcast as she tried to erase her negative thoughts. She took another full breath, head somewhat clearing as she put on a marvelous smile and entered the room.

"Hey, Calliope." she went to her usual seat that sat right beside the brunette's bed, hands shoving her hair into a ponytail.

Callie yawned, her nose scrunching in a way that made Arizona's mouth go dry.

Arizona pressed the chart tighter to her chest. "I can go i-if you want." she stuttered.

Callie shook her head, her hand simply patting Arizona's arm. "No, no it's fine."

Arizona had been arriving around midnight for the past few weeks to update Callie on her baby. Each day brought with it happiness, her little figther beating the odds. They would usually end up talking for a few hours, telling each other anything and everything; it helped Callie to forget about her troubles, to talk to someone about how scared she was.

Callie removed her hand, tingles spreading up her arm as she ran nervous fingers through her hair. She avoided the blonde's eyes; she could see worry written on her face when she bursted through the room. Something must have been wrong, the chipperness that was usually threaded in her voice lacking. What if something was wrong with her baby? She was fighting so hard! There-

"Your baby is six pounds and two ounces. Her lungs are stable, she's able to breathe on her own. It looks like she'll be out of here in less than a week."

"She's six pounds already?" Callie ignored the unrecognizable tone in Arizona's voice, her excitement eliminating any other emotions or thoughts.

Callie almost snatched the binder from Arizona's hands, her excitement sending shakes through her fingertips. Her eyes took in every line, every page revealing in great detail each surgery her daughter had. After the tear on her trachea, she had to get surgery to relieve some of the pression from her brain. There were barely any complications that followed, her baby fighting and getting stronger each day.

Callie had been at the hospital for 6 weeks, her body finally enabling her to walk and, of course, see her child.

"Yes, she's a fighter. She was born two months premature, but this is great progression. She's strong, very strong." her dimples were deeply set into now blushing cheeks, her hands instantly moving to clasp on Callie's. "Just like her mom."

Glistening brown eyes looked up into blue, Callie's smile widening. She set the chart down, taking Arizona's hands in hers, holding her hands firmly. Arizona's face was pale as she bit her lip, her eyes no longer in Callie's direction. Callie's cheeks grew hot, blinking harshly a few times before her thumbs began to draw small circles onto Arizona's hand.

"Have you picked a name yet?" Arizona was just feelings, each circle drawn like electric kisses.

Callie pouted, mouth moving from side to side. "No. I have some ideas, but it's just," she took a shaky breath. "It just doesn't feel right. Nothing feels right."

Arizona squeezed Callie's hand gently, cheeks reddening in anger. Whoever this Mark Sloan guy was really took a toll on Callie. She never mentioned him anyone, if ever. It didn't take her too long to realize that he struck a bad nerve on the woman across from her.

"Calliope, it's all going to be okay. You have friends that support you."

"Yeah, well, it doesn't feel like it." she stilled her hand, eyes focused on something irrelevant to their conversation.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Arizona didn't move nor speak.

Callie let the blue eyed beauty think, the silence in the room comfortable. Callie rolled her eyes, the monitor beeping quickly as her heart started to race.

Great. Just great.

She whimpered, pulling her hands away from Arizona to cross her arms. She hated being so exposed; anytime she got excited or too nervous, the stupid monitor would beep so loudly in the room.

"Callie, Callie, calm down." Arizona retook Callie's hand, but the heart monitor only increased in speed.

"Just let go," Callie whispered.

Arizona's touch only heightened her senses, each brush on her skin raising butterflies in her stomach.

Well, more like hawks.

Arizona froze, her fear of acting to comfortable, being too evasive towards Callie finally coming to light. She would always hold her hand, cause goosebumps to rise on her IV hooked arms. But she had come too close this time, her face merely inches from the brunette's. She couldn't be this silly, so silly to think that all of the close proximity was alright.

She slouched back into her chair, shutting her eyes to listen to Callie's heart return to its normal rate.

"Arizona, I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, Calliope." she looked up, a hint of a smile on her mouth. "Sometimes I forget how touchy I get." she was truly embaressed. She reached for the chart, turning on her heels only to remember she had her wheelys on. She slipped, falling flat onto the ground.

"Oh my god," she hissed.

"Arizona!" she could hear Callie's concern, the sound of moving blankets and bare feet reaching her ears.

"I'm fine!" she moved her aching body, getting back onto her feet with her hands held in front of her. "I'm fine, I'm fine." she was repeating the statement over and over.

"No, you're not." Arizona whipped her head to look at Callie, eyes narrowing. "No, _I'm _fine. _You're _the one who isn't fine, Calliope." her voice was rising in volume. "_I'm _fine! I-I don't have to worry about recovery, or a child or-or-"

"Shut up," Callie grabbed her shoulders, her stance shaky. She still struggled to stand upright for long periods of time, her legs wobbling as she clenched her jaw from the pain that shot up her back. "Just shut up."

She ignored the pain, focusing her attention on Arizona. She was met with cold, blue eyes, something that caused her heart to drop.

"Arizona..." she lowered her voice, hands moving closer to her neck. As she was met with warm skin, it felt as if a cool fire ran up her hands, straight to her chest. She shut her eyes slowly, a shallow breath escaping her lips.

"Calliope, you don't-"

Callie cut her off with her lips, warm flesh pressing against eachother. There was no movement between the two, just silence. Arizona was the first to pull away, mouths still hovering mere millimeters away from eachother.

Callie was shocked by her actions. She never felt this way about another woman before. Actually, she never felt about _anyone _this way before. Her heart never raced for someone like it did when Arizona entered the room. She never got tingles on her skin whenever someone held her hand like Arizona did. No one had ever _listened _to her like Arizona did.

Hell, she saved her baby.

"I have to go." Arizona pulled away fully this time, avoiding Callie's gaze.

This wasn't right. She shouldn't be having these types of feelings for someone like Callie. Someone who had a child, a _life_. She wasn't ready for something like this.

"I'm sorry. I just," she stepped away, hands blindly searching for her chart.

"Arizona, please, can we talk?"

"I have to go."

A/N: I plan on posting on Friday, but that depends on the feedback I get *wink wink*


	6. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: All characters belong to Shonda Rhimes.

Arizona sucked in a nervous breath, hands laying atop her chest as she tried to calm herself down. She had just entered an on call room -far from the Latina a few floors down- panic filled words disrupting the silence. She slipped off her white coat, her hands trembling as she attempted to put the event that had happened only minutes ago to the back of her head. She sat down on the nearby twin bed, the rough sheets balled between her fists and feet tapping against the tile floor.

There was no logical reason as to why Callie would have kissed her. None that she could think of anyway. Yes, they have talked almost everyday, but the truth was, the two barely knew each other. It didn't matter that Arizona knew a crinkle would form on Callie's face if she were confused, or that she loved cars over pretty dresses. Anyone who was with her for five minutes could figure that out.

It didn't make sense that Callie would even want to kiss her. Arizona didn't believe Callie was in the right mindset to make such a decision. She just had a baby, broke up with her boyfriend. Her mind was probably clouded more by admiration and gratitude for Arizona than anything else. There was no way that what Callie was serious or planned out. It just didn't make sense.

But maybe Callie did think about her that way. Maybe Callie just wasn't with the right person. Maybe Callie really did have feelings for her.

No, no. It couldn't be true.

"Ugh," she swallowed hard and fell back onto the uncomfortable bed. Her head began to ache, exhaustion catching up to her from the both long and emotion filled day. She pulled the grey blanket over her head, all thoughts escaping as she immediately fell asleep.

~~~o~~~

"Dr. Robbins?"

Arizona flinched awake, her eyes struggling to open as a muffled voice called for her. Her name was followed by a serious of very loud knocks, each one hitting her ears painfully.

"Hold on!" she wiped her eyes, body gradually removing itself from the bed as she slipped on her coat and opened the door.

Karev was nose deep into a chart he was holding, his hands scribbling something in before looking over Arizona.

"Rough night?"

Arizona pouted, glancing over herself. "No..." her clothes were wrinkled, dust and a smudge of dirt on her pants. "Oh." she feigned a smile while brushing off her pants.

"Are you okay?" there was a hint of laughter in his question.

"Yeah. I just fell yesterday. But I'm fine." her hands flew to her hair, fingers fixing her ponytail to distract herself from the situation.

"Was it because of them stupid wheelys?" she dropped her hands, planting them on her hips and sighed before sticking her tongue out at him and punching his arm. "No!" her face reddened, bashful.

Arizona gently pushed Karev back as she shut the door behind her. The light from the hall hit her face, eyes blinking multiple times to adjust. "What do you want, Karev?"

"The Chief wanted to see you."

Arizona rolled her lips in confusion, whipping the wheels out from her shoes. The duo went to the nurses station to grab their charts for the upcoming few hours, Arizona already feeling the long day ahead of her.

"Why didn't he page me?" she asked holding a stack of charts to her chest.

"He did page you, but you didn't answer."

"Huh." she set the charts back down, feeling around her waist for her pager only to find that it wasn't there. "I must have left it in the on call room," she murmured.

"Hey!" Arizona jumped as Karev called an intern over. "Wilson, come here." Karev patted Arizona on the shoulder. "I can take care of rounds. If anything serious pops up, I'll page you."

"Thanks, Karev." Arizona slipped away, heading straight for the on call room.

Why hadn't she heard her pager? She would have at least awaken from it if it were vibrating. She reached for the cold object, the silver handle sending shivers up her arm as she entered the room. She flipped the light on, looking for the small, black item as quickly as she could. When it wasn't in her hands after over five minutes of searching and constant nit-picking, she rubbed her forehead.

Where could it be? Arizona wracked the back of her mind, trying to think of where it could have fallen off.

"Oh, god," she moaned, realization sinking into her chest.

She fell yesterday. In Callie's room. She must have been too distracted to notice it falling off. There were other, much cuter things to worry about.

"No, Arizona, no." she scolded herself.

She couldn't think about her. She just had to get her pager.

She decided instantaneously that she would have to put that on hold. She almost forgot that the Chief was waiting for her, nerves getting the best of her as her palms began to sweat. She wiped her hands off of her scrubs as she flew to her feet, popped the wheels from her shoes out, and flew out of the room.

She stopped short in front of an elevator, puckering her lips impatiently.

"Arizona!" she recognized her best friend, Teddy Altman, as the elevator doors ringed open.

"Hey!" she smiled, dimples showing as she stepped in and stood next to the other blonde. "What's up?"

"Just the usual. A few heart surgeries today, maybe see Andrew later." she wiggled her brows, a wide grin gracing her lips.

"Ooh, the sexy therapist?" Arizona squealed.

"Sexy, smart," she bit her lip, closing her eyes in what could only be arousal. "He's a great listener."

Arizona scoffed. "Yeah, listener." she waved her off, eyes rolling.

She peeked at the numbers flashing, the floor the Chief was on gradually arriving.

"What about you?" Teddy sighed happily, the little pink bubble she must have been in erasing some of the tension from Arizona's body.

"Well, I'm about to go see the Chief."

"Oh yeah, he said he was looking for you earlier."

"Yeah, I know." the elevator doors opened, Arizona rolling out with Teddy by her side. "I didn't have my pager with me." she snapped the wheels back into her shoes she could lazily walk down the hallways.

"You always have it with you." Teddy commented. "Do you have it now?"

Arizona simply shook her head. She was really hoping Teddy wouldn't ask where it was. It would lead to a very awkward conversation, one that Teddy tried to delve into on multiple occasions. Arizona would somehow always back out, changing the subject or bringing up Andrew.

That always did the trick.

"Nope." she popped the 'p', eyes anywhere but on her best friend. "So, you said you might see Andrew?"

"Well, maybe." They reached the catwalk, the empty section of the hospital revealing a scenic view of Seattle, the American flag blowing gracefully in the wind. "But enough about me. I know you're trying to change the subject."

They stopped, leaning against the rails. Arizona whistled lowly, eyes dancing back and forth. "I am not." countered.

"You left your pager in Callie's room didn't you?"

Arizona didn't say anything, knowing that her silence would be answer enough.

"How did you leave it there?" Teddy's eyes grew big, her body moving right of front of Arizona. "You didn't!"

"No!" Arizona fumbled for something to say, hearing the meaning behind Teddy's words. "No! I swear."

"I'm surprised." she went back beside Arizona, looking outside of the large glass window. "Every time I mention her name you get all googly-eyed. Oh, and you drool."

Arizona's mouth fell open in surprise. "I do not! You're the one who swoons over Andrew."

"Yeah, I know I do." Teddy said. "But you do it too. You're just too afraid to admit it."

"No..." Arizona whined softly.

Arizona knew she was in denial. She couldn't even tell her best friend about the kiss-which she knew could honestly be claimed as one of the best ones she had ever had-she and Callie shared last night. She didn't want to get her hopes up. Callie was a prime example as to why Arizona didn't fool around, or even think of fooling around, with straight girls. They brought nothing but heartache.

Maybe Calliope is different. she thought to herself. Though, no matter how many times she would tell herself this, it wouldn't stick to her brain. There was no way in Hell that Callie would actually want to start a relationship with her. No way that her fuzzy, drug filled brain would want to be with her in the long run.

"Listen," Teddy placed an encouraging hand on Arizona's elbow, hazel eyes staring into icy blue. "I'm here, so if or when you figure this thing out with Callie-"

"There's nothing to-"

"I'll be here." she gave her a quick hug before leaving Arizona alone.

Arizona didn't have time, noticing the Chief and a foreign woman staring at her from down the hall.

~~~o~~~

Callie awoke to Dr. Bailey checking her stats, her tiny body moving about the room in a speedy fashion.

"Hey there." Dr. Bailey smiled, scribbling something into her notes before standing next to Callie's bedside. "How are you feeling?"

Callie's brows meshed together, an ache arising in her head. However, this was the first morning she awoke with no back pain, a smile lifting onto her face.

"Great." her voice was dry, raspy.

"Here." Dr. Bailey picked up a half full glass of water, Callie's hands taking it with urgency. As the cool water passed her lips, Dr. Bailey continued to speak.

"Well, your vitals are looking great, your incision looks nice and clean." she noted checking once more for reassurance. "It looks like you're ready to go. You're no longer considered a surgical patient." she flipped Callie's chart closed.

Callie's heart sank. She wasn't ready to leave; she didn't have anywhere to go. Yes, she had her apartment, but there was no way that she could take care of herself with the condition she was in, let alone a baby. She could feel a lump form in her throat, eyes sparkling as tears began to make their way out. Her heat pounded loudly, each beat a deafening echo to her ears.

"I don't have anywhere to go." a sob escaped from her, tears now streaming down her face.

What was she going to do? Without Mark, there was no one to help her. Her child began running through her mind, her tiny smile the only thing stopping her from having a panic attack. She had to be strong for her baby because no one else could.

She thought about Arizona next, the blonde having been on her mind very often lately. Without her, she probably wouldn't have a child to go home with. Because of Arizona, she had something to look forward to, and she would forever be grateful for that. What she did yesterday was...something she didn't expect to do. But she didn't regret it. She had been there from the start, telling of her promises, protecting her child and telling her everyday that everything would be already.

Maybe she did have someone.

Callie cleared her vision, her cries still continuing as she mentally prepared herself. Dr. Bailey was about to speak when her pager went off. She rolled her lips together, stuttered words falling from her lips but nothing of importance actually coming out.

"It's okay," Callie exhaled a troubled breath. "You can go. I'm okay. I just," she took another drink of water, her vibrating hands making the task a difficult one. "You can go. Don't worry." she said setting the cup down.

"I'll be back in a few hours with your discharge papers." Dr. Bailey turned around, leaving the room without another word.

She wasn't surprised to hear another beep come from the pager that was left in her room the day before. It distracted her from her racing thoughts, fingers grabbing the device. Callie knew she shouldn't be invading Arizona's privacy like this, but it fascinated her; to know how the blonde spent her day, how much she traveled through the hospital.

She was miraculous.

"Calliope," Callie looked up, hands in the air, pager falling out of her hands.

Arizona was standing in front of her bed, a familiar pink binder held to her chest. She had a brow arched in suspicion, her hair thrown into a messy ponytail.

"Hey," Callie held the word out, hands still held in the air. "What's up?" she smiled, finally putting her hands in her lap.

Arizona took her pager from atop of Callie's blanket covered lap, easily clipping the object to her pants. It was quiet, for what felt like hours, but was only a few minutes.

Callie was the first to speak. "Arizona-"

"I'm going to Africa."

Callie frowned, bewildered at her statement. "What?" she sat up, her eyes focusing on Arizona's face, looking for an indications of a lie.

"I'm going, well moving," she cleared her throat, moving her body to the chair next to Callie's bed. "Malawi." she set the binder onto to the desk next to her.

"In Africa?"

"Yes," Arizona nodded.

Again, it was quiet.

Why would she leave? What would cause Arizona to just up and leave? She said that she would protect her daughter! What if something happened while she was gone? What if no one else was able to save her child? She growled, pulling the tubes from her arms in anger.

"Callie stop! You're gonna hurt yourself!" she grabbed Callie's wrists, pinning them to her sides. "Stop, please." she begged.

Callie's cries from earlier returned, blood leaking to her wrists as both internal and external pain hit her like a brick.

"You said you would protect my baby! You promised!" she pushed Arizona away, the blonde skidding back into her chair.

Callie wasn't just thinking of her baby in this situation though; she was thinking of herself, too. She knew that if Arizona left she would be alone. She wouldn't have anyone to talk to, or take care of her. There would be no one left...

"Y-you said-"

"Calliope." Arizona said her name lowly, her voice on the edge of a whisper. "Just, calm down. Listen to me."

Callie's sight was blurred by on going tears, her breaths coming out louder, shivers wracking her body as the symptoms of a panic attack began occurring. Her heart monitor was racing, Arizona finally giving in by tearing the wires from her chest, turning the monitor off and straddling Callie. Her hands grabbed the soft, olive toned skin with her pale hands, lips pressing hard against the brunette's. Callie's lips were frigid against Arizona's, quiet whimpers tumbling back and forth.

Callie's heart rate slowed down; Arizona could feel it as her hands lay flat against the Latina's chest. She pulled away, realizing the big mistake she had just made. This wasn't something she planned on doing. She wanted a clean break, nothing that would sway her mind from this major decision she had made over an hour ago.

"Calliope, this isn't right." she moved closer, her mouth hovering ever so closely to the brunette's. "You just got out of car accident. You had a baby. Your," their breaths were ragged, Callie gradually coming down from her terror.

"I'm perfectly capable of having rational thoughts." Callie whispered.

"No, you're not." Arizona took her hands away. "Calliope, I'm sorry, but," Arizona placed a light kiss on Callie's mouth before rushing out of the bed, getting as far from her as possible.

Her stomach clenched, her fists shoved into her pockets. "I'll be gone for 6 months." she felt something wet on her face, informing the sudden sensation.

"You said..."

Callie was at a loss for words. She couldn't even explain what had just happened herself. She was close to having a panic attack one minute, and the next; she was calm.

So what if her mind was a little cloudy or fuzzy? Why couldn't she enjoy herself? Why couldn't she just be happy? Yes, she just had a child and is recovering from a car accident, but that didn't mean she was incapable from feeling. She had plenty of feelings, half of them were just with the man who had left her as a single mother.

"I know what I said." Arizona fiddled with a piece of her shirt. "She's safe, and she's ready to go home. I ran all the tests," she wiped her eye with the back of her hand. "She's okay to go home."

"Arizona, please. Don't go."

Arizona turned around, popping the wheels from her sneakers and rolled slowly toward the door.

"Bye, Calliope."

A/N: alright, don't be mad. there's a plan in place, so trust me:) please leave your thoughts (oh and the baby's name will be revealed in the next chapter!)


	7. Chapter 6

A/N: thanks for all the follows and reviews!

**Disclaimer: Shonda Rhimes owns all the characters. **

"Thanks for helping me with the move," Arizona buckled herself in the passenger seat of her brother's pick-up truck.

She had just returned from Africa a few days ago, her first day back at Seattle Grace both something she was looking forward to and fearful about.

She was mostly afraid of confronting Callie. She felt terrible, butterflies in her stomach arising as she thought of the beautiful Latina. She didn't know if she should feel guilty; yes, she did leave Callie-at what Arizona considered to a very crucial moment-alone, but _she _didn't have a child. Callie didn't have any right making her feel responsible for a child that wasn't hers.

"Well, I'm going to be living there too, aren't I?" her brother joked lightly setting the last box in the back before sliding into the vehicle next to his sister.

Arizona rolled her eyes, arms wrapping around her legs as her brother started the truck and eliciting her distress. She could only stare longingly out of the passenger window, blue eyes that matched the lightening sky burning as she held back tears.

"So, are the people at this hospital nice? They aren't as fidgety as you are they?" he asked as they came to their first stop light.

"They're nice," she continued to look out the window, her feet touching the truck's floor. "And I'm not fidgety."

Tim scoffed, mock punching his sister on the shoulder. "You've been jumpy ever since you got back."

Arizona didn't say anything, knowing that if she said anything else, her voice would give her away. She didn't want to admit that she was indeed a little nervous since she came home. No, home wasn't the right word.

She didn't feel right here, didn't feel right sitting inside all day just unpacking things. Her head was still fuzzy, the beaming sun of Africa marked on her skin, her mind. Echoes of tiny humans and their giggles filled her mind, images of them and their smiling faces after they left from her care something she couldn't forget.

She didn't feel as though she was back yet.

"'Zona, I'm fine." he interrupted her thoughts.

"You're not." she crossed her arms, face burning as her anger towards her brother rose. "I can't believe you waited this long to tell me." she shuddered, hands running anxiously through her hair.

"You don't need to worry, that's why I didn't tell you."

"You told mom and dad." she shot back.

The hospital was only a few block away now, the warm summer air tinged with humidity. They were at another red light, Tim sighing before speaking.

"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you sooner, but you were busy in Malawi and-"

"Why would you even use that as an excuse? You know I would have come much sooner." she smacked his arm, voice getting louder as she ended her response.

"I know that but-"

"But what Tim? But what? What did you think I was gonna do?"

"This!"

He pulled the car over, turning the vehicle off to look Arizona straight in the eye.

"I didn't tell you, because I knew you would freak out like this!" he slammed his hands against the steering wheel, Arizona jumping in surprise. "When Nick was sick, you could barely sleep or eat; you were killing yourself over it!"

Arizona had trouble breathing, her hands flying in her brother's face, balled up fists making harsh impact. She was livid, strong memories of their old friend and new terror about her brother making her very emotional. She was bawling now, her face a dark scarlet, make-up woven into tears as she threw rough hits at her brother.

"Why would you wait to tell me?" she shoved her hands over her face, wailing loudly.

"Because I knew if you found out I had a tumor, you wouldn't be the same."

Arizona continuously shook her head, legs shaking, breath short.

It was silent, horns beeping and light ambiance enough for Arizona to at least attempt to distract herself.

"We don't want you to be late for your appointment." she babbled, the back of her hand wiping her face. "Let's just go."

Tim huffed, starting the car back up and headed towards the hospital.

~~~o~~~

"Good morning, Dr. Torres."

Callie smiled, long, dark, brown hair falling over her shoulders as she handed her daughter to one of the daycare workers at Seattle Grace Hospital.

"Bye, bye, baby girl," she kissed her daughter's cheek, red lipstick leaving a faint mark on tanned skin. "Mama loves you, Sofia." she caressed Sofia's face, placing the diaper bag down and adjusting her own purse over her shoulder.

Her daughter was perfect in every way possible. She was thankful everyday that her child's dominant features came from her, the only "Sloany" characteristic being the smirk her daughter would make when she dreamed.

Callie sighed as her pager went off, signaling her to leave. "Bye, baby!" she blew one final kiss before exiting the daycare.

The halls were crowded, nurses and numerous doctors chattering loudly and phones ringing off the hook. Callie rushed to the locker room, her pager going off again as she slipped on her dark blue scrubs. A quivering breath sounded as she jogged towards the ER.

"Dr. Torres, we have a skull fracture and a broken leg coming in." Chief Hunt gestured towards the ER, his hands elsewhere as they scribbled something into a chart.

She already missed her little one, her mind anxious to be set on something distracting.

Callie jogged towards the ER, snapping on a pair of gloves and finishing the tie of her yellow covering as she approached a few residents.

"Grey, you have the chart for the broken leg and skull fracture?" she asked putting her hair up into a neat ponytail.

She could hear screaming coming in through the massive double doors of the hospital, people cringing at the dramatic yelps. They were filled with cries, shouting and slurred words she was not able to understand. She looked over, seeing the bag of a blonde head caked in dried blood. Her body was almost flailing, her cries stopping only to shout at a doctor, who, in return, shut the curtain over her and scurried away.

"Sheesh, what happened to her?" she was on the edge of a smile, the over dramatic patient's cries returning.

"She has a skull fracture and a broken leg. She's your patient," Meredith Grey held the chart out to Callie, a smile playing on her lips.

Callie whined, eyes moving in Grey's direction. "No, please tell me your kidding." she grumbled, taking the chart from the other woman's hands.

She already had to deal with one crying human at home. She didn't think she could handle another, familiar aches already beginning to set in her head. She flinched as another round of screams filled the ER, a few residents sighing.

Callie looked over the chart; there was no name listed, just the obvious injuries the paramedics were able to find. She groaned to herself one more time before walking to the shrieking woman. She kept her eyes on her chart as she moved the blue curtain out of the way.

"Excuse me, Miss..." she trailed off, words trapped in her throat. Striking blue eyes swung in her direction, the yells stopping as soon as they saw her.

Arizona was sitting right in front of her, her light, blonde hair laced with blood, eyes set wide and face covered in dirt.

"Calliope," the blonde whispered.

All her memories from those many months ago came crashing back to her. Her body stiffened, eyes fixated on blue as her heart began to quicken.

Her hands held onto the chart tighter, sad thoughts running through her mind. The woman had saved her child, looked after her and even helped take care of her, only to leave. She spoke of all these promises, saying that Callie would never be alone, but that's exactly where she left her.

These last few months she had been alone, the only help she got was Teddy or Bailey occasionally babysitting, and the few things the hospital had donated to her.

Of course she loved her daughter; she was everything to her. Her tiny smiles and dimpled cheeks something she looked forward to everyday she awoke. But the terrifying feeling that she would do something wrong scared her. Every time she cried in the middle of the night, her heart would stop. She feared every second a cry escaped those tiny lips that she was in pain, that she was hurting just as much as her mother.

The dread of bringing up a child alone had struck her, struck her hard.

Her family had been ignoring her every since they found out she was pregnant, the sin of bearing a child out of wedlock an act they found unforgivable. She didn't have many friends, her colleagues separating from her after the accident. They pitied her; they may not have vocalized their feelings, but Callie was smart enough to understand when people started to clear a room whenever she entered it.

Callie cleared her throat, her mind returning to the present, eyes evading Arizona's. "I'll send you up for a head CT and an x-ray for your leg." her fingers shook as they wrote Arizona's name neatly into the chart.

"You look really good," Arizona hissed between her teeth as she clawed at her non-injured leg.

Callie ignored her comment, setting the chart at the foot of the bed as she took a quick peek at the blonde's leg. It was gaping open, her bone visible to the human eye. "Actually, I'll have someone clean that out. We don't want it to get infected."

"It looks really bad," Arizona whimpered, voice cracking.

Callie shut her eyes tightly, the pain in Arizona's voice going straight to her heart.

No, no, no. She wasn't going to find herself feeling sorry for this girl. She probably did something ridiculous to get into this situation anyways. She didn't seem like the type to stay upright often, the memory of her falling flat on her ass because of those stupid shoes one example.

Callie shook her head, glancing back at the leg wound to examine it further. It looked like it was mostly nerve and tissue damage, the break not as bad as she anticipated.

"It's not as bad as you think." she couldn't help but look into blue orbs, her breath hitching as the blonde cried silently.

Arizona turned her head, lips rolling together, body shaking. "My b-brother. H-he was driving. H-he-" she covered her mouth, tears spilling between the cracks in her fingers.

"Your brother?" Callie was confused. From the many conversations the two had while Callie was a patient, she knew Arizona had a brother; she just didn't know he was in Seattle.

"Where is he? I need to know if he's okay. Please, tell me he's okay." Arizona looked around the hospital, eyes searching for him. "Tim! Timothy!"

"Arizona," Callie whispered her name, a hand lightly soothing her shoulder. "Stop yelling, it's not helping anyone."

"The truck came out of no where." she breathed. "It came out of no where."

Callie's face fell, all anger, hate and sadness seeming to fade away as the woman in front of her kept crying. She got up, her fingers trailing down Arizona's arm until speaking. "I'll find out where your brother is. Okay? Just please, stop yelling. Please," she couldn't bare to look at Arizona any longer, knowing that she would succumb to the urge of touching her, calming her in a way she knew would only hurt her in the long run.

She got a resident to take care of Arizona's leg and upcoming scans, her mind fixated on finding Arizona's brother.

A/N: okay, I plan on posting on Friday so please review!


	8. Chapter 7

A/N: sorry for posting late. I didn't even plan on posting tonight, but I got too impatient, lol.

Disclaimer: Shonda Rhimes owns all characters.

Multiple people flowed into and out of the hospital. Each one having tense shoulders, grim lines on their faces, hands in pockets. However, not one of the dozens of people that had sauntered into the stress building ER, had a familiar head of blonde hair or blue eyes. None of them were shouting for a loved one, shaking in fury or hitting a wall violently.

None of them were looking for a crying, shrieking sister.

"Dr. Torres," Callie turned at the sound of her name, a tuft of hair sticking to her cheek as sweat began to bead across her skin.

"I finished cleaning Dr. Robbins' leg..." Dr. Meredith Grey blinked a few times, hands almost twitching at her sides. "Should we prep an OR?" her lips curved slightly, excitement at a potential surgery lighting her eyes.

Callie looked around the ER once more, eyes landing on then discarding each individual before sighing. "Let's get an x-ray first." she looked at Dr. Grey, smiling and patting her shoulder before heading in Arizona's direction. "But yes, make sure to have an OR ready in about," she checked a clock on a far wall, squinting. "half an hour. Page Shephard!" she called behind her.

What would she tell her? That her brother-who was most likely in the same position, if not worse- was no where to be found? That there was a chance he was trapped inside a black body bag? No, she couldn't tell her something like this before an anxiety filled surgery. Bad thoughts were...bad.

This wasn't good, this was not good at all. She hesistated before pulling the curtain back, gloved hands balling the soft material before sliding it to reveal the blonde in front of her. Her glassy, blue eyes were sad, lips vibrating, teeth chattering. Her skin seemed to be a shade white, lips pale and cracked.

"Did you find him?" her words came out slowly, eyes slowly blinking in question.

Callie had just prepared to explain how her brother was fine, that he was in the waiting room, staying in there until her surgery was done. Or how he was just around the bend, a broken arm needed tending before he could see her.

Though, Callie found a lump stuck in her throat, a lie unable to escape as easily as she anticipated. It was a simple-yet not so simple-lie, one she was sure she could give with repose. All she had to do was say the one line that would save her from an emotional episode. But, she couldn't utter a damn word, a painful swallow washing down her rational thoughts.

"I don't know," she finally answered while wiping the now annoying strand of hair away from her face. Her mind couldn't bare to look at Arizona's reaction, but her eyes had other plans. She watched as Arizona's face remained the same, not a crinckle of the nose or furrow of the brow.

"We, uh," Callie pulled the sides of Arizona's bed up, her eyes still roaming on Arizona. "You have to get a head CT and an x-ray."

"Okay," Arizona whispered, gaze still glued to Callie's.

"Hey," Callie jumped, Derek Shephard's cool voice interupting the quiet air. "Dr. Robbins, nice to see you. I wish the circumstances were different." he took the chart from the foot of the bed, quickly scanning the littler information listed before grabbing a small light from his front pocket.

"Look up," he requested, Arizona dragging her eyes in each direction he asked, a small sigh and the roll of her eyes answer enough for the neurosurgeon.

"I'm fine," she muttered, arms folding across her chest.

That was an understatement, and even if Arizona wasn't as broken physically as she was, she knew she wasn't actually fine. Her brother, someone she obviously cared about fiercely, was no where to be found. She could not imagine the thoughts coursing through the blonde's mind.

"We'll get you a -"

"Head CT, yeah," she finished, a piece of blood strewn hair falling over her face.

"Alright," he lifted the other side of Arizona's bed up, signaling a nurse to help escort her to the elevator.

They rolled the bed at a steady pace, entering the elevator with a comfortable silence. Olive tinted skin drummed across Arizona's bed, the rhythmic strumming stopped by the grasp of a pale hand. She curled her fingers back, her mind left behind as hot tingles crawled up her arm.

"Thanks for looking, you didn't have to." she removed her hand, Callie missing the warmth as soon as it escaped.

"It's, uh, no problem." Callie moved her hand, brain catching up to her body.

Her heat beat quickened, a nervous hand slipping into her white lab coat. She wanted the elevator to ding, let her lungs get a gustful of fresh to clear her foggy mentality.

As they accomplished the heavily boring tasts of scans, Callie was able to formulate a plan to fix Arizona's leg. She had to rebreak it, mend some nerves, etc. It was something she was familiar with, confidence in her skills increasing with each breath.

"Okay," she exhaled as she entered Arizona's assigend room. She was twiddling with a piece of now clean hair, the nurses stitching up appropriate gashes and washing the dirt and blood from her beautiful blonde hair. "Your leg is not as bad as you thought." she narrowed her eyes, pulling up a rolling stool next to Arizona's bedside. "I told you," she flipped her hair over her shoulder. She explained the specifics to Arizona, giving her every possible detail.

"Is my head okay?"

"Yes."

Arizona nodded sadly. "Alright."

Callie moved from side to side on the stool, biting her cheek before she spoke to break the tension filled atmosphere.

"So, it looks like the roles are reversed."

Arizona frowned, acknowledgement of her surroundings appearing to surface.

"What do you mean?" Callie could only hold her breath as delicate, blue eyes held her own.

She swallowed thickly, lips popping open, cheeks flushing.

No, no, no. She held Arizona's focus, mind repeating and preaching how this woman had hurt her, broke promises, left her alone. She couldn't let her in, would not allow her to go past her skin and poison her veins. There could be no more words that broke past boundaries, or anything simple such as pinkie promises.

Starting now, she was a professional woman.

"Well, we tend to meet in unfortunate situations."

Arizona was processing what she had said, a smile lifting in understanding. She giggled, eyes brightening in what appeared to be the first sign of happiness since Callie had seen her.

"You're funny, Calliope." her smile fell almost as quick as it came. Callie looked away, repeated reminders of her internal pact already slipping from her foolish brain.

She decided that if she stayed any longer, it would result in nothing but regrets.

"I have to go," she shot to her feet, waving as her hand already began turning the knob of the door.

"If you see my brother..." Arizona sat up, forcing her body to turn in Callie's direction.

"I really have to go."

"Calliope." Arizona said her name as if it were her last, a sigh full of determination, fear; she was begging for something-Callie was not sure what-in that one wavering breath. "Please. Can we just talk for a minute."

Well, there goes the pep talk she had prepared for herself...just crashing and burning.

"I have to prep for your surgery. Your wond is clean but we can't leave it exposed for too long or we'll risk infection."

"Cal-"

"Just." Callie's voice was louder than she intended. "Not now." she left the room, feet carrying her to the ER. She should be prepping for surgery, Arizona's operation in-she checked her watch-less than twenty minutes. She kept her eyes on the ground, trying to contain herself and-

"Ouch." she stammered, taking a step back. "Sorry." she rubbed her face.

A man, tall, tan skin and dirty blonde hair staring blankly at her.

"Sir, are you alright?" she placed a hand on the man's arm in concern. "Sir?"

"I, uh." the man continued to stare off, eyes blank, unfocused. "Can you tell me where I am?"

"You're at Seattle Grace Hospital, Sir." she spoke slower, more clearly than she normally would have.

"Oh." he blinked, recognition flashing in his eyes. "I came her for something but I don't remember."

"Okay, well," Callie peered around him, seeing if anyone that looked remotely like him lingered around. The ER was actually less full than when she was in here less than thirty minutes ago. It was calming, the hum of nearly silent chatter softening her mood. "Do you know your name? What state or year we are in?"

The man took a step back, hands balled into fists. "No. I don't."

A/N: ooh, can you guys guess who that is? I would love to know what you guys think so far:) again, thank you so much for reading and sticking with me this far! *gives all of you a virtual cookie*


	9. Chapter 8

A/N: sorry for the wait. School has been heavy this week.

**Disclaimer: Shonda Rhimes owns all characters.**

"He definitely has a concussion," Meredith Grey commented as she shone a small light in the man's face.

Callie was finally able to examine the man who she had recently bumped into, his short, dirty blond hair disheveled, blue eyes staring at the floor, his shoulders tense.

"That could explain the temporary memory loss," Callie crossed her arms over her chest, and sighed heavily. "I don't have time for this, I have a surgery in," she glanced at her watch, eyes widening. "Crap, I have to go." She tied her hair up, brown waves flowing out of the high pinned ponytail.

"Should I page Derek?" Meredith put the small light back into her front pocket, hands reaching for a syringe and needle.

"For the head CT, yes."

Meredith smiled at the unknown man, syringe in hand. "This is going to hurt a little, but it will lessen the pain when I put in the stitches."

The man didn't say anything, his focus remaining on the tiled floor.

"Alright then," Callie was backing away.

"You're good here then?"

"Yeah." Meredith had already begun the stitches.

Callie rushed out of the ER, sliding her way into the nearest elevator.

"Hey, in a hurry?" The brunette jumped, Teddy's voice scaring her.

"Uh, yeah." She pushed a button, sweat already beginning to set, nerves and fear sinking onto her skin.

Words started to bubble up to her lips; she desperately wanted to tell someone about Arizona's condition.

"Arizona is supposed to come back to work today." Teddy looked Callie's way, grinning.

It looks like she didn't have to bring up the blonde, the woman next to her already breaking the ice.

Callie chewed on her bottom lip, face falling as she spoke.

"That's who I'm operating on." The statement was barely over a whisper, her eyes trailing over to see Teddy's reaction.

"W-what? Is she okay?" Her eyes popped out of her head in astonishment, frail fingers covering her mouth.

They both knew exactly what Teddy meant: Was Arizona dying?

"Yeah. Her leg is just really messed up and she has a meager concussion."

Teddy let out a tearless cry, her relief sounding in the small, contained space. "Oh, thank god." Her hands migrated over her heart.

"Yeah," Callie shut her eyes, her anxiety growing more and more each passing second.

"You're not happy about this are you?" Teddy pushed the stop button and turned to face Callie, her hands shaking as they ran through her hair.

Callie was bewildered. She couldn't understand where Teddy got such an idea, where she even felt obliged to speak such thoughts aloud.

"Teddy, I don't have time for this." She distracted herself by looking at her watch again. She was already ten minutes late for prepping the OR.

She didn't even want to talk about Arizona, no matter what the situation was. Already, the thoughts of the blonde caused her blood to boil, head to ache. She was angry, so angry at her.

"Look, I understand if you don't want to talk about her."

"No, you don't." Callie snapped.

Teddy wiped at her eyes, still overwhelmed that her best friend was getting surgery. "I didn't find out she was leaving until last minute, too."

"I barely knew her."

All Callie could tell someone about Arizona was that she had blonde hair-that went on for days down her back, every shade of the summer blending into each strand- blue eyes-they were the color of the sea, deep waves that pulled and almost drowned Callie with each stare- and a beautiful smile.

Damn, now all she could think about was that heart breaking smile.

No, she couldn't think about Arizona. She couldn't let herself get attached; she always went too fast.

But, there was no fast about her and Arizona, because there was no her and Arizona.

"You knew her enough." Teddy pulled her from her thoughts, her heavy stare forcing Callie to look back.

"No, I didn't."

"You did."

Callie rolled her eyes, a dry laugh accompanying the gesture. She continued laughing, the emotionless act only emphasizing her irritation and sarcasm.

"Yeah, we knew each other so well that she told me she was fleeing to Africa right before I was set to get discharged. Oh, did she also tell you after you shared what can be considered the most passionate kiss you'd ever had?"

Teddy stayed quiet, arms continued to stay crossed. "No."

"I didn't know her. And I don't plan to know more."

She pushed Teddy out of the way, hand slamming on the red button again, the elevator door opening. Callie fled from her small space, furiously shoving a piece of her hair out of her face.

"You're gonna make sure she's okay though, right?" Teddy trailed behind her.

"If you're talking about fixing her leg, then yes."

"But-"

"Anything after that is her problem."

"Her brother has cancer."

Callie stopped in her tracks, blowing a gust of air before turning on her heels to face the annoying blonde.

"Listen, I can't deal with this right now. Did I mention that I have a child? Because she's my top priority! You know who isn't? Anyone who abandons her! So quit acting like I care about her when I don't!" She swiveled back around, marching angrily down to the operating room.

Every emotion that circled around anger and sadness flickered through her mind. She had Sofia, and that was enough for her. She didn't need to focus on anything that would most likely crush her or disappoint her again.

"Dr. Torres, it's nice of you to join us." Dr. Warren waved.

"I was worried you would bail." She heard Arizona mumbled weakly.

"Huh," Callie scoffed. "I was thinking the same thing."

She narrowed her eyes in Arizona's direction, a smirk on her face. "Knock her out Ben, I'm already running late."

He nodded in approval, placing a mask over her face. "Hey d-did you," Arizona took a sleep induced breath. "Did you find my brother?" Her eyes were fluttering closed, each breath slower and slower.

"No, I didn't."

She watched as Arizona fell asleep, a peaceful look setting onto her face.

"Okay, crank up the tunes and let's get this show on the road!" She snapped latex gloves on, a nurse placing a mask over her face while she looked at Arizona one more before beginning the surgery.

~~~~o~~~~

Arizona woke up, her head swimming, leg numb. The strong smell of...hospital, yeah hospital, was lingering past her nose.

"Ew," she felt around her face, an oxygen tube connected to her nose.

"Hey, hey, don't mess with that."

Arizona squinted, turning her head to see her best friend Teddy Altman smiling her way. "So, uh, what happened here?" She pointed to Arizona's left leg, metal rods poking out above the thick, white gauze.

Arizona shut her eyes, images flashing through her mind.

She could remember how furious she was at her brother's irrational thinking. How he didn't feel the need to tell her how sick he was.

She could also remember his face, the pure panic and fright written all over it as he watched a truck slam into them.

She didn't feel any pain until she got into the hospital, adrenaline and shock running in her veins.

"There was a truck," she made it sound like a question, her mind processing every second. The loud screech of metal, the shards that pierced her skin. She didn't even see the driver's face; she only heard the quick gasp from her brother before everything went back.

The next thing she remembered was waking up in the paramedics truck, her leg and head banging, hammering pain throughout the rest of her body. It was terrifying, her brother no where in sight.

She wasn't even sure if he was alive.

"Tim, I need to find Tim." Her hands returned to her face, tremoring hands hardly touching her face before Teddy smacked them away.

"You can't do anything right now."

She grimaced at the comment, the words stinging her ego.

"You think I don't know that?" Her cheeks burned, tears spilling over the rims of her eyes, cascading down her face.

"We'll find him," Teddy reassured her.

"What if he's dead, Teddy? I could have helped him! I can't believe how idiotic he is!" Arizona was shouting now, Teddy shrinking back at every word.

"He's not dead, Arizona. You can't think like that."

Arizona was wailing now, her cries similar to when she first arrived at the hospital.

"Arizona, you have to quit crying so loudly. You'll disturb the other patients."

"I don't care," she whimpered, teeth latching onto her bottom lip. "I just want my brother. I need him to be okay!" Her head fell against the rough pillow, leg protesting in pain as her body shook.

"I'm calling a nurse," Teddy huffed, pushing the call button.

Arizona continued to sob, her vision blurred. Her emotions were skyrocketing, each breath getting harder and harder to do.

"I-I think I'm h-having a panic attack." Her eyes shot to Teddy, the glossy blue orbs set into a frenzied display. "I can't breath," she was panting and wheezing, her nose running profusely.

"Hold on, just try to take deep breath." Teddy gripped Arizona's hand, but it did nothing, the blonde's hysteria only increasing.

The door to the room flew open, a nurse and Callie Torres rushing into the room. The nurse went to Arizona's bedside, professional stare taking in her vitals.

"Why did you page me? Is her leg alright?" Callie trailed after the nurse, her hands brushing over the securely wrapped leg.

"She's having a panic attack." Teddy answered.

Callie's hand froze above the gauze covered limb, a lump lodged in her throat.

This is exactly what she was talking about. She didn't want to have to worry about Arizona like this, didn't have time to. She had to be there for her daughter, not help this panic struck woman who had left her to basically fend for herself. It wasn't rational or ethical.

But looking at Arizona, her eyes red, tears of pain and anguish written across her face made her heart clench. Raging butterflies ricocheted in her stomach, her own breath halting. It physically hurt to Arizona like this.

And it was stupidity that guided her next course of action.

"Hey, breath. Can you please," one hand took Arizona's, the other caressing her tear streaked face. "Please, breath." She brought her eyes to the Arizona's, the baby blues calming the storm in her belly.

She circled Arizona's cheek with her thumb, each stroke sending flames and tingles up her arm.

Her mind couldn't even comprehend her body's reflex, each comforting gesture sent the the blonde pulling her closer to heartbreak.

No matter what her mind kept shouting at her, she couldn't stand to see Arizona in pain.

"Arizona, you have to breath." Callie took a deep breath as an example, her eyes remaining fixated on Arizona, both hands tracing her face, neck, shoulders.

It was until Arizona's breathing had returned to normal that she remembered there were two other people in the room.

Crap. Crap, crap, crap. Callie took a step back, hands shoved into her pockets.

"Do you still...need me?" The nurse mumbled behind Callie.

Callie palmed her forehead, sighing. "No, just up her morphine."

The nurse nodded, fixing Arizona's tubes and medicine before scurrying out the room.

Callie glowered at Teddy, teeth clenched as she refrained from screeching at the her.

Teddy returned her glare with a small smirk. "I told you," she mouthed.

Callie growled. "Shut it."

A hand clutched at Callie's elbow, pale fingers indenting her skin. "You don't have to be here." She groaned quietly.

Callie's demeanor softened, Arizona's pained voice alerting her senses.

"What hurts?" She asked.

"My leg." Arizona kept on crying, her eyes now shut, avoiding Callie's.

"Stop crying." Callie huffed, gently smacking Arizona's arm. "You're a big girl."

"Shut up," Arizona wiped her eyes, a smile creeping onto her face.

Callie smiled in return, though her's was wavered.

No, stop looking at her. Stop touching her. Stop thinking about her.

Callie pressed her lips together, her feet taking her to Teddy's side.

Callie tried to think of an excuse, a reason for her to leave. Her thoughts were still clouded from her pounding heart and traitorous hands. She was so easily swayed when it came to Arizona; she wish she were strong enough to just...forget. Forget everything the two had shared, no many how small, and just move on. Her daughter needed her.

"I gotta go," Teddy grinned mischievously, backing out of the room.

"Teddy!" Callie hissed, grabbing at nothing but air as Teddy fled from the room.

Callie whined weakly, her back to Arizona.

Why did this day have to be so difficult?

"I'm sorry, I know you don't want to be here." Arizona's voice was dry. She sniffled, the back of her hand wiping at her nose. "I know I'm probably the last person you want to see. But," Arizona let out another sob, hands protectively wrapped around her chest. "Please don't run."

"What?" Callie's brows meshed together in confusion.

Don't run? That's what she wanted to say? After traveling thousands of miles away, she's the one saying "don't run?"

Technically, Callie wouldn't be able to "run" until Arizona was discharged. Her duty was to make sure Arizona had a leg to walk on, give her her life back.

"When I get back on my feet," Arizona showed a sliver of a smile when she looked at her leg. "I'm going to stay here. I was supposed to come back and work today, to keep an eye on my brother, but," Arizona's composure was calm, each finger tapping against the rail on her bedside.

"A truck came out of nowhere." Callie finished.

The room was hushed, no words being uttered as the two did anything but stare at each other.

Callie was the first to make a move, pulling up a chair beside Arizona's bed. She tried to find the right words to say, the easiest way to let the blonde down. Though, when she met those lovely blue eyes- one she was already finding herself familiar- she found she couldn't say anything.

Crap.

They both jerked as Callie's phone buzzed.

"Hold on," she said unlocking her phone.

Arizona's eyes thinned, watching as the beautiful Latina punched various words into her phone.

"Huh," Callie stuck her bottom lip, Arizona wanting to touch the soft skin greatly.

"I really have to go." Callie remained in her seat, eyes focusing on whatever was on her phone, fingers flicking what Arizona assumed to be pictures back and forth.

"Is something wrong?" Arizona asked.

Callie's phone went off again.

"Damn," Callie angrily pushed a few more buttons.

"Calliope?" Arizona's voice was soft, the simple word eliciting Callie to freeze.

Arizona could see many emotions flash over her face, each one less dramatic and revealing than the one before.

"There's this guy who stumbled into the ER earlier. He had no memory of who he was, and all his scans are clean. No brain bleed, aneurysms, brain pressure." Callie pulled up a picture of the man, placing it in Arizona's view. "See? He has a nasty cut and-"

"That's my brother! Timothy!" Arizona snagged the phone from Callie's hands, eyes wide, fingers flicking through the few images provided.

"Are you sure?"

She thought back to the man, Tim, and tried to recall if there were any similarities between the two. His hair was blonde, but it was much darker, and his blue eyes were dark, almost an odd shade of grey. If Arizona wouldn't have seen that picture, Callie was sure they would have sent this guy to psych and he would have been trapped here for who knows how long while his sister was in the same building.

Arizona shoved the phone back in Callie's hand. "He's my brother! Of course I'm sure!" She grabbed Callie's arm. "Calliope, you have to let me see him. Maybe seeing a familiar face will help him remember." Arizona's eyes were crazed, the grip on Callie's arm increasing in pressure.

"Arizona..." Callie placed her hand atop of Arizona's. "You just got out of surgery, and I don't want you putting any pressure on your leg."

"I'll go in a wheelchair, I'm not a complete invalid." She snapped.

"I'm sorry, but any big movement or jostle on your leg can mess up my work. I don't want to risk it."

"He's my brother!" Arizona's waterworks began to come back full force, her lips trembling.

"Hey, hey," took Arizona's hands, holding them between her own to get her attention. "Listen, I'll try to get him up here, because you can't go anywhere."

Arizona could only nod, steams of tears threatening to escape the blue ocean of her eyes.

Callie pulled her hands away and got up, leaving the room without another word.

She didn't think she could run away from the blonde even if she tried at this point.

A/N: thanks for reading:) I might start posting on Fridays from now on; the chapters will be longer, but then I would only have time to post once a week. So, tell me what you guys like:) thank you for reading!


	10. Chapter 9

A/N: I can't believe I almost have almost 200 follows! You guys are amazing! I feel like I don't thank you enough, so thank you so freaking much! Hopefully this chapter will show my gratitude:)

**Disclaimer: Shonda Rhimes owns all characters.**

Rain was pouring outside of Seattle Grace Hospital, Arizona's ears taking in each strike against her room's window, her fingers fiddling together. Her usual wide, bright, blue eyes were downcast, smile fading, lips pressed firmly together. She waited, patience slipping through her hands as each second passed.

Her brother stood before her, no words or looks of recognition on his face. His shoulders were slumped forward, eyes staring at the linoleum tiled floor-much like they had been when he was discovered in the ER- and swaying from foot to foot. He was obviously uncomfortable in his current position.

Callie was on the other side of room, practically hiding in a corner as she observed the two siblings. Her arms were crossed, fingers drumming against her own flesh. She could hardly keep her eyes off of Arizona, curiosity as to what she was thinking something she couldn't take her mind from. When she was met with tired, blue eyes she drew herself nearer to the other woman. With an encouraging smile sent Arizona's way, the blonde turned to speak to her brother.

"Tim, can you look at me?" Arizona asked.

She was still bound to the hospital bed, her urge to just jump and hug her brother with everything in her strong. Mouth pursed, she hesitantly spoke once more. "Can you please talk? Please?" She was nearly begging, her tone soft and hardly audible.

He looked up at her after a few moments went by, eyes watery.

"Tim, please. Talk to me!" Arizona brushed a strand of hair angrily out of her face, voice trembling.

"Arizona, you can't force him to talk." Callie lay a hand on her shoulder, flashing a reassuring look at Tim.

Arizona pushed Callie's hand away, furious at her brother.

How could he forget her? How could he just stand there as if he had no memory of everything they did together? All the things she had confided in him, all the laughs and cries she shared. Their parents, his first love, his cancer for crying out loud! How can one bump to the head, one minuscule mistake cause someone so dear to her to lose something so important?

"We can try again later." Callie moved to the other side of the bed, ignoring the glare that burned on her back.

"Okay, let's just get you situated upstairs." She gently placed a hand on his arm, his body stiffening at the gesture. She opened the door, Tim stepping out to be escorted by a woman Callie was not very familiar with.

"Upstairs? As in the psych floor?"

Callie huffed, shutting the door, hands lingering on the handle before turning to face the beautiful blonde.

Callie held her tongue, yearning to just tell Arizona to shut up. She had been complaining, being snarky and having an attitude with each word that slipped from her body ever since she got here. It was extremely annoying.

"Yes," she answered. She checked the clock on the wall, seeing that she had about half an hour before she had to pick up her daughter.

"We don't even know if his memory is gone. What if he does know what's going? What if it's all just shock? I can't believe you would just let them take him up there!" Callie ground her teeth together as the blonde's voice crescendoed. "He needs to be on this floor, that's where he needs to be. Not some-"

"Stop. Just stop!" Callie threw her hands in the air, eyes bugging out of her head. "You've been nothing but ungrateful since you got here! I'm trying to help as best as I can, but I can't do that if you knit pick everything I do." She took deep breath, exhaustion from the long day cascading over every limb in her body.

She took a seat next to Arizona's bed, head falling into her hands. The air between the two was tinged with tension and Callie's labored breathing.

"Why are you even helping me?" Arizona asked.

Callie sighed once more, head lifting out of her hands to look Arizona straight in the eye. The sapphire orbs were intense, Callie struggling to breath as her heart momentarily stopped from their vigor.

She could think of a million reasons why she shouldn't be helping her. Her daughter being her top one, but those insanely blue eyes that made her mind swirl and leave her dumbfounded being a pretty good one, too.

But, Callie was raised to be a good person. She was polite, treating everyone with respect to the best of her ability no matter what: even if that said person was an untrustworthy, traitorous-

Callie stopped herself, her mind trailing away from what she had to focus on once again as the blonde bit her lip, waiting for Callie to speak.

"Even though I'm not really happy with this," she waved her hands between them. "Situation..." She dragged out the words, hands settling into her lap for a brief pause. "I owe you. You saved hm daughter's life," she smiled, words of honesty becoming easier and easier to away aloud. "I'll never be able to repay you, because she is the best thing that ever happened to me."

Callie was finally able to confess what she was trying so hard to deny. Yes, Arizona leaving was devastating, but that was nothing compared to the joy she caused when saving her daughter's life.

Arizona smiled in return, eyes softening.

"If fixing your leg and helping you with your brother will even fractionally measure up to what you did, then..." She wasn't looking at Arizona anymore, her fingers playing with the blonde's hospital blanket.

All her negativity about having so much hated for Arizona and never wanting anything to do with her was just a distraction. She was abandoned, once by someone she thought she would spend the rest of her life with, and again by someone she was giving her trust to.

Who could blame her for wanting to separate herself from more hurt?

"I'm sorry," Arizona placed her pale hand atop of Callie's, thumb tracing circles onto the olive toned flesh.

Callie felt be tingles, sparks, shoot up her arm and straight to her chest. It took everything in her not to gasp aloud or lace her fingers with Arizona's.

"Her name's Sofia. Sofia Robbin Torres." She forced herself to look at Arizona, examine her reaction.

Arizona's jaw dropped, eyes expanding. She was shocked, no, no, that wasn't the right word.

Scared? No...

Guilt?

The word stuck, her hand gripping Callie's tighter as she processed this new information.

"I wanted her, and me, to always have a reminder. A reminder of who healed her, protected her when she was at her worst." Callie could see the confusion and indecisive look in Arizona. The hold on her hand was numbing, slim fingers digging into her skin.

"I'm honored, but-"

"What?" Callie's brows meshed together.

Arizona let out a low whistle, face flushed, heart fluttering.

"I don't deserve that." She pulled her hand away. "I was only doing my job." She mumbled.

Callie shook her head, a fake laugh escaping from her.

"What?" Arizona crinkled her nose and pouted.

"If you think I would believe that for one second."

"I was doing my job." Arizona said.

"And I agree. You were doing your job; but you didn't have to stay with her every night or update me on the tiniest changes."

Arizona nodded, more to herself than the brunette beside her.

She felt so guilty: she really did care for Sofia, there was no doubt. But the tie she had with her mother is what made her have any type of doubt.

She couldn't care about the baby without the mother, and she she couldn't care about the mother without the baby involved.

She just couldn't care.

"I'm freaking you out, aren't I?"

Arizona faced Callie, dark chocolate candies staring back at her. "No." She mumbled. She pushed a piece of her hair behind her ear absently, averting Callie's stare as she continued to speak. "I can't...I can't be friends with you. I get that you're trying to repay me, but," she slowly turned to face Callie, her hands taking the brunette's.

Callie pulled away, her heart sinking into her chest. She knew it was silly to believe that giving Arizona a chance was ridiculous, that being honest was a mistake.

"No, no, that didn't come out the way I wanted." Arizona smile, her teeth showing, dimples popping out. She thought for a moment, choosing her words carefully before speaking again. Her smile faltered, lips pressing together, tongue dancing over them as she restarted.

"I like you, Calliope, really like you." She whispered. "But you..." She was at a loss, mind blanking.

Callie didn't know what Arizona was trying to say, though she had a feeling in what sort of direction she was heading to.

She must have not been the only one who had felt the flutters in her stomach when they touch, or the sparks that danced over her fingers, arm, bodice.

She didn't know what this feeling was, never experienced anything like it; it was a good feeling.

"All I know," Callie initiated, "is that when you left I was alone. I forgot about you, forced myself to forget about you so that I could love my child, put all of myself into taking her. I couldn't dwell on the past, hate her father, you even. I got along just fine." Yes, it was indeed a challenge. Sofia wasn't the best sleeper at night and didn't take kindly to baths or feeding time. Still, she was perfect and was everything Callie could wish for and more.

She was her world.

"When you came back today," Callie swallowed the knot she didn't know was there down, eyes beginning to water. "It just brought back everything I worked so hard to try and forget. I forgot how good it felt to have you around, see your smile every day and know that I had somebody to turn to. It made me remember all the talks we had, the movies we would watch together at night and how," she felt a tear make it's way down her face, a hand wiping the stream away.

"I'm so sorry, Calliope," Arizona pulled Callie into her arms, her chin laying atop her head as she felt sobs wrack against her chest.

Callie pulled at the front of Arizona's nightgown, her grip crinkling the fragile material. Her heart was pounding hard, each pulse echoing in her ears. She sniffled and jerked away, hands gathering soft cheeks as she forced Arizona's lips upon hers.

It was heated, a small moan mixed with a whimper coming from Callie, her body shuddering at the contact.

Arizona took in Callie's scent, their noses brushing ever so softly together.

Callie was the one to pull away, her breaths harsh and labored. Their mouths were a few inches apart, Arizona raising her hand to caress the brunette's cheek.

"This is why I can't be friends with you." Arizona brushed her lips against Callie's once more. She sighed.

"I can't do this...but when I see you there's nothing else I can think about."

Arizona nodded, their foreheads bumping into each other causing the two to giggle. It was relief, to the tension filled atmosphere, the chuckles dying down.

"I don't want you to have to deal with this if you aren't ready." Callie kissed her again, this one more fervent. "Don't. Don't." Arizona pushed Callie away from her. "Calliope, you don't know what you're feeling-"

"I know exactly how I feel."

"You like men. You had a child with one. He left you, I left. You're distracted, stressed."

"I like you."

Arizona was trying hard to think of any reason why this...thing-whatever you would call it- would work.

But all she could think about was the child that was tied to the beautiful woman before her. She wasn't ready for something like that: she didn't want to take care of a child, couldn't get attached and lose another one .

"Please, just," Arizona could feel her composure slipping, cries bubbling up to her throat, straining to escape her lips.

Callie's pager went off, grateful for the distraction that would force the other woman to leave her alone.

"It's Sofia," Callie mumbled.

She got up, eyes moving to Arizona's. "I'll be back tomorrow first thing to check on that leg."

"Okay," Arizona hid her smile as Callie trailed her fingers over her arm before slipping out of the room.

Callie wasn't the only one who had bad or good memories when they saw each other earlier that day.

Arizona was just too afraid to admit it.

~~o~~

3 Years Ago

_"No, Joanne, I didn't forget." Arizona huffed. _

_The two women were in their bedroom packing a suitcase for a trip to visit Arizona's parents. _

_"Hey, don't get cranky with me." Joanne took Arizona's hands, kissing her knuckles one by one before they landed on her engagement ring. _

_"Sorry, I'm just tired." She sighed, hands leaving her fiancée's to rest on her stomach. "The tiny one is giving me a run for my money today." She frowned, a pain shooting in her gut. "Ugh." _

_Joanne sat Arizona down on their bed, her eyes trailing over the raised tummy. _

_Arizona shut her eyes, the pressure intensifying dramatically, a soundless cry leaving her throat._

_"Arizona!" Joanne pushed the blonde's hair out of the way, her fingers meeting hot skin sticky from sweat. _

_"Something isn't right." Arizona's teeth were clenched, eyes popping open as another ache advanced throughout her body. She hands gripped her stomach in pain, her eyes finding her fiancée's. _

_"Do I need to call an ambulance? Or...?" She wanted Arizona to be as comfortable as possible, worried glances going from her face to pregnant belly. _

_"Ow!" Arizona balled the sheets beneath her, knuckles white, face flushed. The pain was intensifying, white flashes replacing the room she was in, skin burning as the seconds ticked by. _

_No, no, no! Arizona's thoughts were racing, going from how to stop the misery, to wondering if she baby was going to be alright. She was six months in, all of her check ups positive with no morning sickness or other discomforting symptoms. It was the perfect pregnancy, the little flutters she would feel now and then whenever she would coo sweet words. The warmth she felt whenever she would picture her child's tiny face in her mind. _

_Something was wrong, very wrong, and the voice in the back or her head was telling her that this had no happy ending. _

_"Arizona!" Her name was but an echo to her ears, eyes closing as the pain became unbearable. _

_The room was spinning, the agony and piercing pain in her abdomen hitting a peak until everything was black. At least, that was the only way Arizona could describe it. _

_She was in no pain. She couldn't feel anything, her body feeling light as a feather. There was a sweet smell, from a candy or the finest of chocolates. She could see green, the purest of shades blending into a sky that matched her blue eyes. _

_It was peaceful._

_"Baby, please, please!" _

_The bright sky was darkening, exotic smell shaping into an odor. The scent, a strong hit if familiarity bringing her back to earth. Sounds of reality were clear as she became aware of Joanne's panic laced shouts._

_She gasped, lungs clasping as much oxygen as they could take. _

_Her eyes darted around her, a few doctors and her fiancée hurriedly taking her to a foreign area. _

_She could not speak, an oxygen mask restricting her, hands unable to move the irritating object since they were strapped to her sides. _

_The voices were getting muddy once more, Arizona's face paling before her eyes shut one last time._

~~o~~

Present

Arizona shot up in her bed, face and neck dripping with sweat. She was shaking, hands shivering as they threw the thin hospital blanket onto the floor. She hadn't had that nightmare in months, her body reacting the way it used to when they first begun.

Each breath was heavy, hair tickling her lips, sticking to her face.

She covered her mouth as soon as she felt a sob trickle up her throat.

She couldn't help that she was a loud and excessive crier, her body heaving, weak fingers hardly muting her weeping.

She couldn't bare to think of that night, all her dreams crushed, her life ruined.

She had to start over.

She didn't know how long she had been crying, what time it was when she awoke. But when the sun rays began to dance their way into her room, she knew she had suffered through a sleepiness night.

She wiped her face, dry skin puffy and red. Her head felt heavy, weak fingers straining to hold it.

"Robbins?" she didn't respond at first.

She only looked up when she felt her blanket being placed onto her lap.

"Oh, hey Karev!" A ghost of a smile lit her face, arms extending to pull him into a hug.

"Uh, hi," he hesitantly returned the gesture.

Arizona didn't realize how much she missed her protégée, his grimace one she came to care greatly for.

"I missed you. How has peds been without me."

He pulled back, head shaking from side to side. "I'm the only reason there's still a peds. Stark isn't that good with parents, the interns have no idea what the hell they're doing..." He scowled.

Arizona grinned, memories of the interns and their constant mishaps with Karev brightening her mood in almost an instant. She almost forgot what she had been so upset about.

_Almost_.

"What are you even doing here?" He slumped into the chair next to her bed, thin mouth mumbling words Arizona was unable to hear.

"Well, my brother has some tumors," she pouted at the thought, mind swirling for an instant before she focused back onto Karev. "I came here to make sure got the right treatment, because am I not letting my brother do this alone." She made her statement clear, tone mimicking that of a protective mother. "He's so _stupid_, I mean-"

"Get to the point already." Karev was easily irritable, impatient for Arizona to just spit out what she had to say.

"Well were driving here for his first appointment-it was also going to be my first day back. But, by an amazing turn of events, we got into a car accident." She paused, turning from Karev as her thoughts wandered to the event.

The bending of metal, hard beats of her heart, the smell of gasoline. Shattering glass, instantaneous pain that grasped her leg.

"The truck came out of no where." Her hand had went to touch her gauze wrapped leg, tips of her fingers met with cold rods and bolts.

"Tough luck." He folded his hands behind his hand, legs propped up on the end of Arizona's bed. "How's your brother?"

She met his eyes before shaking her head. "He lost his memory; at least that's what Callie told me. I tried to talk to him yesterday and he didn't respond, but that does not mean his memory is gone."

"He must have hit has head pretty hard."

"Yeah."

"I'm sure he'll get his memory. You're not one to forget." He laughed trying to lighten the mood.

"Shut up." Arizona couldn't help but smile.

She really did miss Karev.

His pager beeped and he grunted. "Crap, I've gotta go." He got up but halted as if he remembered something.

Arizona tilted her head to the side, fearing if what he had to say that would cause him to stop in his tracks so suddenly.

"What is it?"

"Tell Torres I said hi."

"Run before I hit you with a brick." She threatened.

"I'm sure you would like to hit something."

Arizona blushed furiously, taking the first thing her hands touched on the stand next to her bed.

Karev cackled, avoiding the object thrown at him as he slipped out of the room.

Arizona scowled, arms crossing over her chest, grumpiness written all over her face.

She did _not_ miss his constant teasing, she was sure of that.

"What was he running from?" Arizona froze as a voice she was both dreading and dying to hear floated to her ears. Her eyes followed the trail of beautiful words to see Callie peeking into he room. Brown eyes were shadowed from a sleepless night, hair somewhat and falling into dark, mahogany waves down to her back.

"Hey,"

"Hi." Callie stepped into the room, shutting the door quietly behind her.

She had barely gotten any sleep, Sofia refusing to lay down for more than an hour at a time. When her child was asleep, all she could think about was the kiss her and Arizona had shared. She thought about her, blue eyes branded into her brain.

She did think about what Arizona said, and she was wrong. She wasn't confused and her judgment wasn't clouded from unnatural emotions.

There was just something about Arizona. She didn't know if it was admiration or appreciation, even longing. But she did know that she had never experienced feelings like this before with anyone; not even Mark. Her heart never fluttered like it did whenever Arizona would touch her hand. Her stomach had never before erupted with butterflies as they did when she had encountered those captivating blue eyes.

But were they romantic feelings?

She honestly did not care at this point, her previous plan of avoiding Arizona and never seeing her again long forgetten. T'his was something she...felt...yeah, felt. She could only feel at this time. She decided to take this chance, her gut and mind letting her see where this could go.

All Callie could do was feel and she hoped that it was enough for Arizona to give her a chance.

"What are you doing here so early?" Arizona asked, gaze remaining on the brunette as she pulled a chair up next to her bedside.

"Sofia wasn't the best sleeper last night." she smiled tiredly.

"Yeah, babies tend to cry." Arizona tried her best not to sound rude, but her tone came out sarcastically.

Callie ignored her comment, hands busily throwing her hair over her shoulders. Callie stared at her folded hands, picking at her finger nails nervously. The room was beginning to get lighter, the early summer morning bringing the sun to greet the world.

"I, uh," Callie was very anxious, her stomach coiling, teeth latching onto her bottom lip. "I thought about you last night." she didn't dare to look at Arizona, saving what must have been an angry look for later. "Us, actually."

"Callie-"

"Let me finish." she pleaded, eyes betraying her as she delicately met Arizona's. She took Arizona's hands in her's, chills and elegant fires tracing up her arms. She dithered, cheeks burning, locks of hair tickling the back of her neck. These touches, the feelings and emotions that arose with each caress, encouraged her to keep speaking.

"Okay." Arizona squeezed back, the sparks only increasing in intensity.

"I don't know exactly what I want us to be, but I know that when I'm with you," she took a deep breath, a watery smile smoothing it's way onto her face. "I feel good." she locked her eyes on their clasped hands, holding on tighter than before causing a new wave of flames to reach her chest. "Do you feel that?" she took away one hand, dancing two fingers back and forth on Arizona's forearm.

Arizona didn't speak, words unable to pass her lips as she felt the same flames lick up her arm. "Yeah," she hummed.

"I want to try. I want to show you that I'm in this. I _want _to be." she moved closer to Arizona, hand moving up and down her arm to distract her mind from the constant nerves.

Arizona didn't know what to think, wracking her thoughts to choose the right decision. Yes, she felt the same intense fire whenever they touched, her heart swelling everytime Callie smiled...

"What do you think?" Callie felt a strong pull to Arizona, her hands moving to her face to trace her delicate jawline. "Please say something."

Arizona shivered, her hands copying each movement Callie had made. Her skin was warm, fingers moving to mark invisible lines on Callie's lips. It took everything in Arizona not to crash her lips on Callie's, every breath messing with her thoughts more and more.

"Calliope," she breathed her name, eyes rolling into the back of her head as their lips finally touched. It was gentle, no rush; just a simple kiss that caused a small whimper to leave Arizona's throat, a tear unexpectedly gliding down her face. "I..." her voice got caught in her throat, more tears silently falling.

"What do you think?" Callie repeated, eyes opening to see as much of Arizona as she could.

Callie's pager went off, the persistant beeping-one that only signaled for a complete emergency-breaking the precious moment.

Arizona covered her face with a hand, the other pushing Callie away.

The beeping continued, Callie hopping to her feet and flying out the room, embaressed at her actions.

What was Arizona thinking?

**Thoughts?**

A/N: I would love to know what you guys are thinking:) hopefully I'll be able to post next week. School is really tying me up right now, but depending on the feedback I get, I'll try really hard to squeeze another chapter in.


	11. Chapter 10

A/N: Wow! I can't believe this hit 200 follows! It means so much to so thank you so much! Thank you to those that reviewed, and those who continue to follow on this journey: it means a great deal!

**Disclaimer: Shonda Rhimes owns all characters. **

Callie could hardly catch her breath as she almost ran to the closest elevator, fingers pressing a button reflexively. Her eyes darted everywhere and anywhere, palms clamming up and stiffening as she shoved them into her pockets.

"Stupid, _stupid_," she said under her breath.

How could she just put herself out there like that? Arizona could hardly even look at her. She must have thought she was delusional, idiotic to name her child after her.

But she was grateful, so grateful for what she had done. It didn't matter if nothing were to come from their relationship. As long as her daughter knew who had brought her into this world, safe and secure, the rest didn't matter.

Though, Callie couldn't help but think of how hard her breaths would be if she saw Arizona everyday at work with no contact of any kind. Or how she would have to be reminded of her everyday when she spoke of her daughter. She would never be able to get the beautiful blonde out of her mind, and that crushed her. How would she be able to go on, knowing that she could have done something ...

It was worse knowing that her daughter's father was halfway across the country, living it up with-and damn her- Lexie Grey.

The dinging of the elevator pulled her from her thoughts, voice just making it from her tight throat as she spotted Dr. Yang.

"What happened?" She walked up to the fellow resident, slipping on a surgical gown and latex gloves. Her eyes observed the room, a few patients on gurneys making their way into the room.

The room smelled of fresh blood, whimpers and cries distastefully reaching Callie's ears as she tried to follow the words coming from Yang.

"Three people were shot. The source is still unknown, but we were able to save two," she pointed to the people being examined.

Unknown? "So this person with a gun is still running around?"

"Yeah." Cristina's had no emotion in her voice, Callie always jealous of that distinct feature.

Callie sometimes got too attached, and when you were a surgeon, it was a huge disadvantage.

"Why am I needed?"

Yang scoffed. "Go look for yourself."

Callie rolled her eyes, jogging to one of the wounded victims.

"Oh my god," a hand shot over her mouth, a girl no older than 9 covered with brush burns, bones sticking out every which way in her arms and legs. One single gun shot was directly on her right shoulder. Clothes torn, lips shaking and cries that grew quieter set Callie into reality. The last words of Hunt explaining the child's injuries hung in the now still air.

Her heart was aching for this child's parents, Sofia popping into her own brain.

Hands that she had no control over lifted broken limbs, eyes taking in every detail; her thoughts kept on reverting to her daughter, heart beating furiously in her chest.

"We need to take her to the OR now." Callie looked up, Dr. Bailey and Dr. Hunt nodding in agreement.

"We need to take care of the internal bleeding first." Dr. Hunt looked at the girl, her breaths slipping more and more with each intake of oxygen. "Do the breaks look like they can wait?"

Callie pondered on the question, an exhausted sigh falling from her lips. "I can't fix the bones until her major bleeding is stopped. She'll need blood transfusions before I start, multiple casts..." She shook her head, wondering how a gun shot could cause such horrible trauma.

"Alright. Bailey, you're scrubbing in." He looked around. "Karev! We need you on this case!" Hunt, along with Callie and Bailey, transferred the girl onto a hospital bed and pulled up the side rails. "Torres, meet us in OR two in a few hours. We should have the bleeding under control by then."

"Got it." She pulled off her latex gloves as she watched the doctors haul the girl off, her attention being directed to an adult male, his wounds not as severe as the girl's.

"Dr. Torres," she was addressed by Meredith Grey. "Thomas Vurly, age 34, was shot twice: once in the right leg and the other on his left arm."

The man groaned in response, his hands twitching, face contorting in pain. His mouth opened, but nothing came out.

"Okay," Callie gently placed her hand on his leg, seeing the wound had not broken anything. It was only a flesh wound. She then moved onto his arm, his humorous badly cracked.

"We need to re break the arm and set it into a cast. The flesh hit will just need to be cleaned and stitched up. Check his abdomen and stomach?" Dr. Grey felt around him, face emotionless.

"It feels normal, no inflammations." Callie rolled her lips, pulling up the side rails and gesturing for Dr. Grey to join her. "You're gonna stitch and clean all of the cuts. We need to do an ultra sound and make sure there's no internal bleeding." She directed the two to the elevators, asking a nurse to have an OR set up.

"Poor little girl, huh?" Meredith said.

The elevator was too tight; Callie felt as if she couldn't breath. Her hands were shaking terribly, head pounding. She couldn't process all of the emotions that filled her stomach. It was all too much.

The injured man was knocked out, the pain placing him into the unconscious state.

"I know, all those wounds." Callie didn't even realize she spoke until Meredith went on.

"There was a little boy, much younger than her. He was about a year old."

Callie's heart sunk, eyes stinging as tears clawed their way out of her eyes in silence. She wanted Meredith to just shut up. She didn't want to know what happened to that poor child.

"He was just on the back of his dad's bike and-"

"Stop talking," Callie gasped.

How could Meredith act like this situation wasn't devastating? She couldn't imagine something like that happening to her daughter. An act as simple as riding your bike...

The elevator door opened, the all too familiar noise of scurrying nurses and phones ringing fading to Callie's ears. She blocked it all out, head swimming. She could only move her legs, letting Meredith lead the way into their designated ER.

They handed the man off to nurses, his body being prepped for his upcoming procedures.

They went off to the small room to scrub, Callie reaching into her pocket to grab her lucky scrub crap. Her fingers felt around only for them to come up empty handed.

"Great," she groaned, leaning against the sink.

"Is everything alright?"

Meredith had just finished washing her hands, tying her bland, light blue scrub cap onto her pulled back hair.

"My lucky scrub cap..." Was all she could muster before pushing her body up. She needed all the luck she could get, her fragile state not helping in the slightest.

The simple task of retrieving her lucky scrub cap would keep her mind off of this horrific accident, even if it were only for a few minutes.

She left the room, telling Meredith she would be back in a few minutes.

Her legs were wobbly, each step harder and harder to accomplish as her chest grew tight. She needed to see her daughter; her motherly instinct wouldn't let her think or do anything else.

She could get her damn scrub cap after that, she didn't even care for anything else at the moment. She slid into the nearest elevator, eyes blurred by tears, a sob leaving her mouth as the metal doors shut with a soft clang.

"Excuse me, do you know where I can find an Arizona Robbins?"

She hiccuped, embarrassed that someone had caught her crying like a child. She hastily moved the tears from under her eyes, clearing her throat before turning to face the man who had just spoken.

"Uh," she put a fake smile on her face, blinking the last of her tears from her eyes. "Sorry, what?"

The man had salt and pepper hair, hands delved deep into his pockets. His stature wavered, his eyes not meeting hers. Callie put a hand on his shoulder, sensing his distress.

"Arizona Robbins." a quivering hand leaving his pocket to reveal a dark object.

~~~~o~~~

Arizona wiped under her eyes, the last of her tears shedding, labored breaths slowing as she regained her composure.

She didn't get a chance to tell Callie her answer, and she had a strong feeling she wouldn't be able to now that she had show such hesitation.

Her room grew quiet, her head becoming heavy, eyes shutting.

She didn't want to think about anything, the numbing pain in her leg coinciding with her throbbing head making her want to sleep forever.

The ache her emotions brought didn't help either.

It wasn't too long before she fell into a soft slumber, body finally able to relax and head laying against-

Beep beep, beep beep

She jostled awake, eyes straining to open.

Beep beep, beep beep

She grumbled something unintelligible, body shifting to grab her jeans and pull her cell phone from her pocket. She unlocked the mobile device, eyes widening.

It was a text; actually quite a few from her mother.

_"Honey, I heard there was a shooting near the hospital! Are you alright?" _

She scrolled down.

_"Arizona please call me! Your brother won't answer his phone! You won't answer your phone!" _

Arizona held her phone tightly between her hands, confusion etched onto her face. A shooting? She didn't hear anything about a shooting...

She pressed the green button, her other hand picking up a remote to turn on the news.

Her eyes struggled for a few moments to open fully, a light sleep still lingering.

She didn't need her eyes, however, to hear the disturbing news the hit her eardrums full force.

"...Seattle Grace Hospital is under lockdown. Thomas Stevens, the alleged shooter, has just over an hour ago shot a family of three on his way to the hospital. We have news that the father and 9 year old daughter are stable, the one year old son dying on impact."

Arizona's lips could not move, shock, bewilderment, horror all taking form on her face.

Thomas Stevens...the name had a ring to it. It sounded very familiar, the name on the tip of Arizona's tongue.

Her heart was beating heavily in her chest, grief for that family, memories of her own loss crushing her faster than she anticipated. Her chest constricted, the sound of her mother's voice pulling her back to actuality.

_"Arizona? Are you alright?" _

She cleared her throat, cell phone pressed against her now sticky flesh.

"Yes mom," she forced a smile onto both her face and in her voice.

She didn't want her mom to worry, she already had too much on her plate as it is. She didn't even know Tim and her were-

Arizona stilled, completely forgetting that her brother was not just suffering from a rapid moving cancer, but he couldn't even remember anything. Arizona herself had her own problems, her crushed leg and PTSD apparently crawling it's way back into her life, making matters worse.

It was like wherever she went, negativity and bad luck followed her. All of this drama that she brought to the hospital: the car crash, messing with Callie's emotions, a shooter for pete sakes!

"I don't want you to worry," Arizona said. "I'm okay, and the hospital is on lockdown ."

She hoped with all of her heart that that shooter would not come onto her floor, at least to her room. She couldn't leave her brother alone to deal with his current mental state.

She couldn't leave Teddy, or Karev...

As much as she wanted to deny her feelings, she knew leaving Callie behind would be devastating.

"Tim is okay, mom." She shut off the TV it, turning the side lamp off and began to speak in whispers.

She was trained back at Hopkins how to deal with a situation like this; her adrenaline and instincts were kicking in. All the fear and emotions she had were now shoved to the back of her mind.

Her phone beeped once more, Arizona examining the phone to see that Teddy had texted her.

"Mom, I have to call you back. I promise, I will text you every half hour. It's not safe to talk in situations like this." Her words were rushed, ears listening for any sign of abnormalities outside of her room. It was very quiet, the halls now dark and completely empty.

_"Arizona, please, I'm so worried-" _

"I promise I'll text you, mom." she hated to leave her mother being so confused and unsure as to what was taking place.

Arizona was till having a hard time grasping the situation herself. It was all surreal, her fingers pressing the end button and going to view her other text message.

She jumped when she heard a door slamming in the distance, lights turning off one by one.

Arizona held her breath, hands forcing her blanket over her head as she heard pattering feet outside of her door. They were rushed, squeaks of tennis shoes, and they resonated to Arizona's ears. Her jaw was clenched shut, lips tasting like rust and salt as she pierced her skin with trembling teeth.

She chose not to believe that the shooter would enter her room: she refused to even acknowledge the fact that there was even one in the hospital. It was completely ridiculous. A hospital was supposed to be the safest place on earth. It was where you got a broken hand fixed, or recovered from a major heart attack.

It wasn't the place you would go and have a shooter waltz around.

The footsteps halted, a final pang of silence before the knob to her door sounded.

She didn't move an inch, each beat of her heart picking up speed as fear and adrenaline coursed through her veins. She couldn't hear whoever entered the room; they made no loud breaths, no sounds of feet shifting from side to side.

"Arizona?" the voice was smooth, the familiar tone caressing the fear away from her ears.

"C-Calliope?" she could only whisper, eyes going wide as her rough, cotton blanket was flung from her face.

The brunette's face was horror struck, eyes watering with a quivering lip. Her body flew in Arizona's direction, arms wrapped around the blonde's neck, tears damping her cold skin. Callie's warm embrace calmed Arizona immensely, all of her worries and fears just leaving her body as if they were never there.

She needed to be honest with Callie, tell her how she was feeling. She couldn't bottle these emotions up any longer, not when it seemed as if they didn't have that much time left to waste.

"What are you doing here?" she could smell the sweet scent of strawberries in Callie's hair, the strands like silk against her flesh.

"H-he was l-looking for you." she sobbed. Callie allowed herself to let go, arms gripping the front of Arizona's hospital gown, nose brushing against her neck. The heat radiating from Arizona's skin seemed to be the only thing that kept her stable. Hands cold, chest heaving, Callie could only cry, words unable to leave her body as she processed what had happened.

"Who was?" Arizona already knew the answer, but a verbal confirmation would seem more real.

"The shooter." Callie moved her head away from Arizona's throat, eyes taking in every detail of blue eyes, small, pink lips, hidden dimples. Her fingers raised to trace each feature, brown eyes blinking back tears. Her breath was ragged, hair falling past her shoulder. "He was-" she shook her head. "Is still looking for you." she placed both hands on either side of Arizona's face, their breaths intermingling as Callie let her process this new information.

"Where is he now?" their noses were touching, Arizona promptly shutting her eyes as she let Callie's scent and voice wash over her face.

"I don't know." their lips brushed together for a split second, a need for touch and the feel of safety.

Arizona was about to speak, but realization flashed into her eyes. "Sofia?" she opened her lids, blue taking in deep, chocolate brown. "Why aren't you with her?"

Callie sighed and put all of her attention onto Arizona, words hitting her tongue. "I was on this floor, the surgical floor. All of the doors are automatically locked." she released Arizona from her touch, a hand reaching into her white lab coat pocket to retrieve her cell phone. "Karev is with her." a small smile, not enough to reach her eyes, fell onto her face. "I told him if he let her out of her sight for one second I'd kill him." her smile disappeared, Arizona getting a sense that she would not hesitate for a moment to fulfill that task if need be.

"So she's safe?" Arizona tried to peer over Callie's hand to look at the messages. "She's okay?"

Callie nodded. "Yeah."

The two sat quietly, Arizona's courageous moment of wanting to speak slipping from her fingers. The sun's rays began to leak into the room, dust and sparkles touching Callie's face. Her brown eyes were light in a fraction of a moment, glistening and what Arizona would gladly say to be the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.

That flicker of beauty, elegance, perfection; it was enough to set Arizona back on track, her thoughts gathering into one secure and confident bundle.

"A few years ago," she shut her eyes, her hand reaching for Callie's before she continued. She didn't want to see the pity that would surely fill brown eyes. "I was pregnant, happily so. I was engaged and everything was just," she huffed. "Perfect."

Callie didn't speak, understanding that Arizona was opening up to her. She couldn't interrupt the moment, knowing that if she uttered the simplest of words, the blue eyed beauty would just shrink back into her silent, unsealing state.

"We were going to go visit my parents. They hadn't seen me pregnant yet, and they were so excited to see me; I couldn't wait to see them." she squeezed Callie's hand as harsh, dreadful, treacherous memories distracted her.

Callie didn't say anything, the hand that wasn't holding Arizona's moving to trace patterns onto her forearm, tingles running through both of them. "The thing I remember the most, is the pain. It was..." she hissed. "It was the worse pain I've ever felt. It wasn't just the physical pain either: it was the pain of knowing." she fixed her sight onto Callie, needed some type of comfort, anything that would ease the anguish building inside of her chest. "I was unconcerned for a while- I remember that I was dreaming- and when I woke up..." her voice cracked, lips and tongue suddenly feeling dry.

Callie pulled Arizona into her arms, giving her all of her strength, pouring all of herself into the embrace. Arizona didn't cry-she couldn't cry- she just simply accepted the arms that enveloped around her. It felt good, warm. She leaned her head on Callie's shoulder, taking a much needed breath to calm her nerves.

She had never spoken of this out loud, not to her parents, anyone.

Her chest was tight, throat burning. Heart, beating at a speed it never had, breath hitching in a silent panic.

"Breath, breath," Callie rubbed one hand over her back, the other skimming softly over her neck, jaw, shoulders.

Arizona felt the flames touch her skin as Callie touched her, sparks that crackled through each crevice in her skin; it calmed her, soothed her panic struck body. She listened to Callie, breathing slower, larger breaths passing through her lungs.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry." she again placed her head onto Callie's shoulder, tears soaking through her white lab coat. "I've put you through so much. I'm nothing but a burden."

"Ssh," Callie pulled Arizona closer to her, the blonde head falling against her sternum.

"Calliope-"

"No!" she hissed, slamming Arizona down against the bed. "Shut up!"

Callie covered Arizona's mouth, tears flowing over her fingers. She heard a few gunshots in the distance, the bangs apparently reaching Arizona's ears as she froze.

"Lay down and don't move." she whispered on the edge of Arizona's ear, sliding away from her to slip under the bed. She didn't want to see the man's eyes again, witness the black object shake directly in front of her face.

Callie felt her cheek press against the cold, hard tiled floor. She shivered silently, eyes shutting closed as she listened for Arizona's breaths to quiet down.

All she could hope for was a miracle.

**Thoughts?**

A/N: Soo...you all probably want to hit me or something much worse right now. So, please tell me what you think is going to happen! I would love to know what you all are thinking. Again, thank you all for reading:)


	12. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: Shonda Rhimes owns all characters. **

Callie's POV

The air was still. Not a single breath, rustle of clothing, loud thumping of the heart even, could be heard. It wasn't until clacking foot steps, the pause right outside of Arizona's door, did Callie release a shuddering breath. She was laying on her stomach, face set upon her arms and body rigid as she sucked in a deep breath. Her hair splayed around her, a few strands tickling her now burning nose.

She could only hope that Arizona was playing dead better than a possum. She could already picture her blonde hair surrounding her milky white skin, blue eyes covered by long, thick lashes. She prayed, the quietest of whispers spoken in Spanish falling off of her trembling lips.

At the turn of a knob, Callie stopped her humming prayers, eyes shutting and tuning her ears. She could hear the door creak open, feel the slight breeze of air brush against her body. She kept her eyes closed, teeth gnawing onto her bottom lip as she awaited for something, _anything, _to happen. Callie's head began to swim, scenerios of life and death playing over and over in her head.

She heard a click, rumpling of clothes rubbing against each other, a loud breath. Her heart was pounding in her ears, chest feeling constricted, eyes wanting to flutter open to see her surroundings.

"This is all your fault." it was the shooter from the elevator.

Callie would never forget that voice, a voice that could decide whether or not she would live another day.

"You killed my daughter." the man's words were raspy, voice breaking on the last word. "You...you abandoned her...you left her to _die._"

Callie internally cringed at his words. Anyone who heard him speak could feel his pain, absorb all the grief and anguish he had suffered her.

It almost made Callie feel bad for him. _Almost. _

"You could have taken care of her..." she heard the same click as before. "My wife left me because of you." his tone grew deeper, growls leaking onto his tongue as he continued. "You..."

Callie's eyes opened, head moving as slowly and silently as she could manage. She could see the man's blood stained, black shoes. They were right next to the bed, Callie's hands a mere inch away. She pulled her sweat covered hand away; she never thought a floor could be so cold.

"I'm sorry," Callie froze.

_No._

A gasp was sounded, the man's gun dropping to the floor. Callie watched as his feet hurridly back away from the hospital bed. Her hands flitted to her side, pulling her cell phone from her white lab coat's pocket and calling Karev.

"Callie? What are you-"

"Karev," she spoke as low as she could. "I need you to call someone _right now._" the man was starting to move towards the bed again. Callie let the phone slip from her fingers as she pushed herself out from under the bed.

~~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~

Arizona's POV

The white sheet smoothly lay over chest, sternum. She made no movements, not a twitch in the lip or lift of the brow.

She lay as if she were dead.

Memories, hundreds and thousands of images flickering, burning into her brain. Each frame of the small, fragile girl filled her every thought.

Emily Stevens. She was only seven years old when she passed, a few weeks after Arizona had fled to Africa. The girl didn't have a chance; Arizona had a plan, the perfect plan to safely and effectively remove the tiny girl's tumors.

However, what she had found when she opened the girl up was nothing short of a disater. There were more tumors than what was displayed on the dozens of scans she ran. Too many were risky, too dangerous. She would have killed the girl if she would have attempted to operate.

Of course she felt terrible when she had to close up, her heart sinking and drowing into her stomach, eyes struggling to make contact with her parents. She had to tell them her daughter was going to die, no matter what she did.

Hearing this man's words, feeling each word bite at her skin, sink into her pores...Arizona was scared, but not for her own life.

She didn't have much left in her life. She didn't have a child to take care of. She didn't even know if she would get her brother back.

She could feel the warmth of Mr. Stevens next to her. He was very close, the smell of his alcohol tainted breath wafting past her nose.

She hated that she was the cause of his pain, her brother's pain, _Callie's _pain. The guilt and agony that was continuing to build in her chest, her heart, her soul; it hurt. She didn't know how much longer she could bare it.

"...you..." the last word to escape his mouth was enough to push her to break her cover.

Her eyes shot open, blue spheres trailing to the furious man standing above her. They were red, tears leaking from swollen eyes. She sat herself up, the dull throbbing in her leg making her wince.

She turned to face him. "I"m sorry," she mumbled.

Mr. Stevens eyes widened, jaw dropping, hands outstretched causing him to drop the gun he held.

Arizona kept her eyes focused on his, brows seriously placed over cautious eyes. She poured everything she had-the fear, unhappiness, regret, guilt, pain-into that stare.

"I'm sorry," she repeated. She held her sob in, throat clenching and unclenching. She wouldn't allow herself to cry.

"W-what?" he took multiple steps back, face paling to a sickly color. "I t-thought you were-" his eyes shot down.

"I'm sorry for what happened to your daughter, but-" she couldn't control the burning, sobs wracking from her body and hands flying to her face. "I wish I could have saved her..." her tears were too harsh, to dominant for her voice to have any type of effect on the man. "I wish I could have saved her..."

Her vision was blurred, the cracks between the slightly parted fingertips on her face being of no use. Her cheeks were hot, moans of internal misery passing her lips, hands quivering.

"I wish I could have saved her..." she whispered over and over again. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," over and over.

There was a soft, warm press on her good leg. Tingles ran up her calf, straight to her chest, hands stilling at the familiar touch.

How was Callie touching her? She was supposed to be under the bed staying safe. Did he find her? Did he shoot her?

She didn't remember hearing anything...

Arizona's breaths were getting short, the recognizable symptoms of a panic attack making their way. Her brain couldn't process what was happening, every one of her senses intensifying.

"Go, please just go," she could hear Callie's voice; it was shaking, each syllable more clipped and seperated than the last.

The grip on her thigh increased in pressure, fingernails ever so close to breaking her skin. Arizona dragged one of her hands off of her face, taking Callie's wrist. Her eyes roamed up her arm, past her hair covered neck, glancing at each feature on her face before meeting her outstretched limb.

She had the gun firmly in her grasp, the weapon trembling with each wave of fear that passed through Callie's body. Arizona used her other hand to wipe her eyes, cries quieting as she stared at Callie. Her strength-the massive amount she was displaying-was astounding, Arizona greedily taking the hand on her leg and holding it with as much appreciation as she could muster.

"Leave!" Arizona jumped at Callie's outburst. She raised the gun higher, the shaking of the weapon getting worse with each minute Mr. Stevens remained in the room.

Callie squeezed Arizona's hand in reassurance; Callie was the one with the gun, she was the one controlling the situation, _she _was able to make the next move.

Mr. Stevens took another step forward, Callie removing her hand from Arizona's to place it atop the fingers holding the weapon. "Don't come any closer."

Arizona couldn't take her eyes off of Callie, fear slowly fading as determination bled through her features. She took a more protective stance, sidestepping to block Arizona from seeing Mr. Stevens.

"Go ahead, shoot me." Arizona heard him say.

Callie didn't respond. She remained as steady as she could, a piece of hair falling over her shoulder.

"Calliope," Arizona put a warning hand on her side, voice pleading. "Don't."

There was a loud crash, something resembling a boom that erupted outside of the room. Arizona tried to nudge Callie out of the way so she could see what was going on, but Callie would not budge.

The were muffled feet scattering down the hall close to where they were, Arizona trying once again to move Callie. Callie decided to move this time, body shifting to the side and carefully laying the gun onto the ground.

"Callie, what are you doing?"

"Everything is going to be okay." she ran a hand through her hair before turning to face Arizona.

The door to Arizona's room busted open, men in black swat uniforms barging in as if they were running from an explosion. Everything was moving so fast, Arizona caught in a whirlwind of events.

Her head was pounding, the pain in her leg throbbing much more than it was earlier. Her vision was fading-eyes in small slits- and she was barely able to catch Mr. Stevens falling to his knees on the ground.

~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~

Callie's POV

"Put your hands in the air!" one of the men clothes in black material shouted at Mr. Stevens. "Get down on your knees and do not move!"

Callie could only release a sigh of relief. Everything was surreal...

She had never held a gun before, let alone shoot one. The black object felt so wrong in her strong hands; it was nothing like the soft skin that had latched onto her. It was the rush of fire that made its way up her side that calmed her, eased her mind during a moment of panic.

Her eyes had floated to Arizona, her unconscience state sending her into doctor mode. She wiped her face, tears she hadn't even noticed were there and collected herself as best as she could. She went to move to check Arizona's IV bags, increase her medicine dosage, etc., but her legs could hardly hold her upright.

She sat at the foot of Arizona's bed, the ambient sounds of police officers standing in front of her, asking her questions she could not understand. Her eyes drifted, staring at a blank wall, thoughts going back and forth.

"Sofia," she gasped, shooting straight to her feet.

She tried to ignore the voices that called for her, but it was of no use once one of the police officers took hold of her wrist.

"Ma'am, I'm going to have to ask you some questions." he gently let go of her hand, Callie's face falling in defeat.

It took over half an hour to answer everything they were looking for. She would continuously look at Arizona then back towards the door. She craved to see her daughter, take her into her arms and _feel_ that she was alright.

She had to tell them of her encounter on the elevator, how he was threatening to kill Arizona. By now, the police had figured out his relation to the hospital, Arizona in particular, and all agreed that she was not at fault.

"I have to see my daughter." she declared after the continuous questioning. Her skin began to itch, sounds that had no resemblence to her daughter making her want to scream. The officer was reluctant, Callie telling him multiple times over the questioning that Sofia was just a few floors down in daycare, but he finally allowed her to leave.

She was just at the door, hands twisting the knob before she looked back at the sleeping blonde. She meant to give her more drugs for the pain, make sure she was alright...

She shook her head; her daughter needed her. Sofia was always first, no matter what.

A/N: Sorry this is shorter than usual, but it's very late where I am and I'd rather put something than nothing up. So, if this gets a decent amount of reviews, I'll post more on Sunday:) Thank you guys so much for reading!


	13. Chapter 12

Callie held her daughter of a mere four months against her chest, lips planting thousands of kisses upon her fragile head. Her tiny cries were so painful to hear, her own tears making their way past her eyes.

"My girl, my girl," she whispered as she placed more kisses on her daughter's head. She rocked her daughter in her arms as her wails began to quiet down.

Callie was in the daycare of the hospital, a dozen other parents around her telling their children how much they love and miss them.

Her heart was racing, hands reaching for her child's diaper bag before she fled from the room. She had to go back upstairs and finish answering questions with the police, but she wasn't too optimistic.

Mainly because she had to see Arizona.

She had thought back to their encounter not even an hour ago. Their words were rushed, emotions scattered. Callie's mind was fuzzy, the fear she had felt, the anger and sadness her body was still trying to process. She didn't know how Arizona was feeling, but at this point she wasn't too concerned. If it took a shooting for Arizona to finally talk to Callie about how she felt...

Callie thought she was sure she wanted to start fresh with Arizona, but now - with her child crying and squirming in her arms- she wasn't so positive anymore.

She didn't even realize she was in Arizona's room until a police man tapped her on the shoulder.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Ms. Torres, but we need to finish the questioning." there were only a few policemen left in the room, whispers sounding and notes being written down.

Callie nodded, kissed Sofia's head once more. "Alright."

She answered the few remaining questions, Sofia cradled against her chest and small fingers playing with her hair. Callie spoke as best as she could, her words leaving her lips slowly. She just felt emotionally drained, the day adding so much weight upon her shoulders.

"I think we have everything we need for now. Thank you for your time Ms. Torres," he police man sent a smile her way before leaving the room.

Callie released long, loud sigh, Sofia's coos the only thing keeping her mind stable. "I know, I know," she mumbled looking about the now empty-aside from Arizona-room. When she looked at Arizona, her eyes latched onto blue. They crinkled at the side as she smiled, large pieces of blonde hair falling out of her ponytail.

"I didn't know you were awake." Callie commented. She refocused her eyes onto her daughter as a yawn sounded from her small mouth.

"Well, I am." Callie could feel Arizona's eyes burning on her.

She didn't think it would be this hard to be in a room with someone. She shouldn't feel so defeated or confused. Callie swept a finger across Sofia's face, distracting herself with her child's beauty.

"Can we talk?" Arizona's voice was low.

Callie pressed her lips together, lifting her head to look at Arizona. Her mouth was set into a tight line, fingers twiddling together with her blue eyes closed. Callie made her way to the chair next to Arizona's bed, cradling Sofia and setting the diaper bag down next to her feet.

Callie waited for Arizona to something, anything, but her patience was wearing thin. She was tired of waiting for Arizona -whether it was for her to return from Africa or waiting for her to tell her how she felt- and she could only hold on for so much longer.

She wasn't even sure if holding on was worth it.

"I want, _really _want for there to be an us." Arizona said, her words wavering and melding together into one slow sentence. "What I told you...I've never confided in anyone about it."

Callie listened, the occasional noise or giggle coming from her daughter's mouth treading on the edge of ruining the deep moment the two were sharing.

"Sofia," Callie watched as Arizona stared longingly at the baby, blue eyes watering. The tiniest of smiles graced her face, lips quivering. "I keep picturing what my child could have been like. If she would have my blue eyes, my dimples. I wouldn't even mind if the baby had eleven toes." she didn't even bother smiling this time, a few tears falling down her face.

Callie could not -would not- imagine a life without Sofia in it. Just the thought made her feel nauseous, made her need to hold her child closer so much more. She couldn't envision how Arizona must feel knowing that she had lost a child.

It made her feel so much guiltier for wanting to stop what she had -or not had for that matter- with Arizona. Arizona had been left alone, her _fiancee _left her; would it have been right for Callie to do the same? Arizona had left her when she herself was going through something crucial. Who's to say that she wouldn't do something like that again?

"I didn't want to leave." Arizona lay her head against the rough hospital pillow. "Well, I did. But not for reasons you may be thinking."

This is what Callie hated; Arizona talking but not _saying _anything. Her hands twitched, an urge to just grab Sofia's diaper bag and leave while Arizona got herself together a very tempting option.

"What do you think I'm thinking?" Callie whispered as she watched her daughter begin to doze off.

"That I didn't want you. That no one was there for you. You thought I left you because you weren't worth it."

Callie shot her head up as Arizona layed a hand on atop hers. More tears were streaming down her face, her cold hands on the edge of Sofia's now hood covered head. "I was afraid. I didn't want to get attatched again. I was afraid that I would take a chance with you, that we would be happy," she choked on the last word, her hand brushing Sofia's hood away to trace the curls on her head.

It all clicked in Callie's head. It all made sense.

Arizona didn't want to lose another child.

Callie took Arizona's hand, all of her doubts and fears flooding away as she kissed shaky fingers. "You have to take a chance with me. Nothing is going to happen to Sofia. She is safe and she is protected. She is loved." she put Arizona's hand down to look into her eyes. They stared back at her with an intensity she had never recieved, her heart clenching and stomach rolling. "But I don't want you to take that chance unless you're ready to catch me. I don't want you to be in this relationship always wondering 'what if'."

Arizona nodded, eyes going back and forth between her and Sofia.

"I'll give you some time. To think." Callie brushed a hand over Arizona's face before leaning in to place the lightest of kisses onto her lips.

This could have been their last kiss. It all depended on what Arizona decided, what she chose. This thought alone made Callie deepen the kiss. She wanted to remember what Arizona tasted like, how soft her lips were...she didn't want to forget this woman who had saved her daughter's life and gave her hope. A quiet moan escaped her throat and she pulled back to lean her forehead against Arizona's.

"I have to go." she didn't look at Arizona as she gathered her things and left with a sleeping Sofia in her arms.

"Wait." Arizona called for her just as she was about to exit the room.

Callie kept her eyes on the door, ears listening for the next words that would come from Arizona.

"I don't need more time." Callie shut her eyes tightly, hand grazing over the door's handle. She wasn't sure what to expect, but she was prepared to bolt if she had to. "I want, no _need _you. I don't want to have any doubts, but I don't want to regret choosing a life that is not with you for the rest of my life."

Callie released a shuddering breath, back still the the blonde that was confessing her feelings.

"I'll try my best to catch you, Calliope."

Callie turned quickly, her own eyes watering as she rushed to Arizona's side.

She cradled her daughter in one arm, the other pulling Arizona's lips to hers with a strong need. Fire spread through her lips and made their way down her neck and to her butterfly filled stomach.

A cry broke them apart, Sofia's wide eyes staring at her mother. Callie laughed, elated and relieved. Her brain was still catching up with her body, fingers tugging gently at Arizona's hand. She shook her head before placing all of her attention on her daughter.

A/N: Sorry for another short chapter. I really _really _hope to post the next one on Monday.


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